Your Hand in Mine
by Zenerific1
Summary: One to many pranks lands Naruto in a pretentious boarding school. Away from home and friends can Naruto overcome the challenges, will she find love. And someone is trying to kill her! Please Read and Review. Leave a Review Sasu/FemNaru ENJOY! COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

As she passed through the archway and directed her feet toward her home, Naruto Uzumaki rolled her bright blue eyes.

It just hadn't been her day. First she got a C on her midterm in History but that wasn't a big deal, and then Mr. Hatake had yelled at her because she hadn't been paying attention to his lesson on the best way to dissect a toad.

Who cared about dissecting a toad anyway that was just gross.

Her mind had wandered to the motorcycle that her Uncle Iruka had just purchased. It had 250 horses strapped to its metal frame and she was itching to get her hands on it. But Iruka had been adamant that she wasn't to touch it.

"It's not a toy, Naruto," he had stated firmly before pointedly locking the key in the upper left hand drawer of his desk in his study. A drawer that she had previously broken into to steal his stash of JD green. She smirked as she thought about the trouble her and her two best friends, Kiba and Neji, had ended up in.

Which was also why she was now stuck in this snooty, upperclass boarding school. Kiba and Neji were at home stuck in strict house arrest by their parents.

Naruto sighed as she walked toward the pool. She was cutting across the grounds as it was the quickest way to get back to her new home. She was lost again in the day dream of riding that irreverent monster over to Kiba's and busting him out of his dreary home.

Feeling two hands pushing her, she stepped off the concrete and realized that there was nothing left under her feet. She gasped out a scream that was quickly cut off as she met cold water that engulfed her and filled her mouth.

Coughing and gagging, she struggled to make her head break the surface of the water. Her mind scrambled to think of what she needed to do to keep her head above water as she fought to pull oxygen instead of water into her lungs. She had never learned how to swim. Her panicked brain came up with a spasmodic dog paddle and her legs kicked with great effort but it was useless. Her terrified body was slowly losing as her energy deserted her and weakness began to seep through her.

The cold liquid closed over her head once more as she lost the battle to stay in the life giving air. She sank to the bottom of the pool and looked up to where the sun shimmered on its surface. Her mind hazily thinking about how beautiful it looked rippling in white and blue lights.

Darkness started to cover her vision as her lungs began to ache indescribably, starved for oxygen. Her head grew fuzzy then warmth crept out starting with her fingers and feet. She dimly thought about what Iruka was going to say about this newest trouble.

Her eyes closed.

---

Sasuke Uchiha settled his lips tightly over the girl's lips as he blew his breath into her unconscious mouth. He forced air into lungs filled with water and then smacked her sharply on the face to revive her.

She gasped then her small frame vibrated sharply as her body began to expel the water in a violent bid for survival. He supported her by turning her onto her side to help as the liquid gushed out.

When she was finished she sagged weakly against him, so weak from her struggle and then the violent purging that it had just undergone. He held her as he swiped the golden blond tresses from her face, his body transferring some of his warmth to her shockingly cold one.

How had she gotten in the pool to begin with he wasn't sure and he didn't like thinking that she had done it on purpose.

He studied the delicate face as he held her firmly against his chest. He cradled her gently in his arms and he couldn't help but smirk. No one had ever accused him of being gentle, in fact, most people were terrified of him. He had garnered a reputation from being quick and ruthless. When someone offended him, he didn't hesitate to kick said offender's ass with as little emotion as possible.

Yet, here he was rescuing a drowning vixen, for that is what she reminded him of right now. Her high cheekbones held the faintest lines that unless someone was looking really closely wouldn't notice. They were like the whiskers on a fox which didn't detract from just how beautiful this girl was.

She was starting to come too as he sat there holding her. She murmured low in her throat a husky, seductive sound as she pressed her cheek into his shoulder. She opened deep sapphire eyes and blinked blurrily up at him before her eyes closed and she murmured again. This time he caught the phrase, "..must be dreaming…."

He smiled a genuine smile this time as he shifted her into a better position in his lap. She tucked her head underneath his chin and pressed cool lips against his throat.

His own eyes closed as heat suffused his body and he became aware of her breasts pressing into his chest, her nipples hard peaks against him. He shifted again to relieve some of the pressure that had instantly come into his groin.

She nuzzled against the crook between his neck and shoulder and he felt the swipe of her tongue against his Adam's apple followed but sharp teeth nipping at his jugular.

"You had better…stop…," he began to warn her, trying for the first time in his existence to do the right thing.

She muttered her displeasure about being interrupted and continued with her assault upon his neck.

His arms tightened about her as his eyes drifted closed on the pleasure he was receiving before his reached inside himself and firmly took control of the situation.

"Stop, now!" he said then grasped her arms and pushed her way from him.

Her blue gaze widened imperceptible as her mind cleared. She became aware of the fact that this wasn't a pleasant dream and she was sitting in the lap of some man she didn't know. With wide eyes she stared at the guy.

He was handsome, almost beautiful. His raven hair was swept back into spikes like he had run his hands through the satin locks. He had the aristocratic features of the nobility with sharp, high cheekbones, and full, kissable mouth that was settled into a frown. Thin narrow nose and deep obsidian eyes.

She swallowed as she pulled away from him. "I'm s-so s-sorry," she stuttered pushing against his chest until he released her. "I-I-I d-didn't…" she trailed off when she realized that she didn't know how to apologize for molesting the guy that had just saved her life.

One side of his mouth lifted into a smirk and he said, "It's alright, I could think of more disturbing things than being kissed by a beautiful girl." He stood and grimaced when the damp, wet clothes constricted some of his movements. He started unbuttoning his shirt intending to take it off and wring it out.

Naruto watched with fascination when he exposed more and more of his pale muscular chest to the sun light. In comparison, Naruto sported a healthy tan left over from spending her time sunbathing in the backyard at home.

He shrugged out of the shirt and the wadded it up into a ball, squeezed the excess water from it. Naruto's eyes were fastened on the play of tendons, bones, and ropey muscles underneath his skin. His biceps bunching, contracting and releasing as his strong hand twisted the material to wring out the water. The tightening of his chest and abdomen at the simple chore.

Heat was staining her cheeks pink as she blushed hotly and look away only to have her gaze return swiftly to him.

"So, were you in the pool on purpose or not?" he asked as he tucked the shirt into his back pocket and looked at her intensely.

"What?" Her eyes lifted to meet his in confusion. Then her mind came back online as anger burned in her stomach. He thought that she had just tried to commit suicide? "No! I was pushed."

He held up a hand to forestall her from turning that anger into violence. "I didn't think so, but I didn't see anyone else around. Why would someone push you?"

Her brow furrowed as she thought about that. "I don't know." A headache was blooming behind her eyes when she tried to come up with reason why anyone would want to kill her because that is what nearly happened. She took into consideration that no one at the school knew that she couldn't swim, it was a rare find.

She lifted a hand to her temple, rubbing in an attempt to push the pain away.

She didn't have any friends here at the school. Everyone seemed to look at her with cold hateful eyes and she didn't know why. Iruka had moved her here just a month ago and she hadn't had time to pull any of her usual pranks so she couldn't understand the way people looked at her.

Back at home, she didn't seem to notice the way people looked at her; she spent most of her time with Kiba and Neji. Those two had been her best friends since she was six and had gotten into trouble when she had smeared paint all over the picture of the former Headmasters. She had been sent the current one's office to wait for her uncle to pick her up and speak with the teacher and present Headmaster. Kiba was in there for bringing his dog Akamaru to school and hiding him in the coat closet where he had peed on everyone's shoes and Neji was there because he had punched a classmate who had been picking on his cousin Hinata.

The three had stared at each other for several minutes before Naruto started laughing. She had held out her hand and introduced herself to both of them. They had been fast friends since then. Both had helped her plan most of her pranks and each had taken turns defending her and taking some of her punishments. She loved them and would protect them with her life if it came to it.

"Here." A hand appeared in front of her eyes holding a navy blue jacket. She took the jacket and held it a little away from her and looked up into those fathomless dark eyes. "Put it on."

"It's going to get wet."

"Mm..I don't mind. I don't want you catching a cold or anything."

Naruto slipper her arm into the jacket and shivered as a draft of cold air hit her. Quickly she pusher her other arm into the sleeve and put the jacket on.

Then she looked around for her school books and saw that they were at the bottom of the pool. Her shoulders drooped, _Now what am I going to do._ She continued to stare at them and heard the guy sigh. She watched in confusion as he stepped back to the pool and jumped in. Her mouth opened as he dove expertly to the bottom and gathered the books up tucking them into the bag that they had fallen out of before rising to the surface once more. He set the books on the side and heaved himself out of the pool once again.

"Oh, thank you, but you didn't have to do that," Naruto said as she gingerly approached the guy.

"Someone would have had to retrieve them and since I'm here and already wet I thought I might as well get it done," his voice held no emotion as if it was just a daily fact of life.

Naruto didn't know what else to say so she took a deep breath and introduced herself, "I'm Naruto, by the way."

"Funny name, Naruto-by-the-way," he said as he got to his feet and tugged his pants back into place from where they had sagged on his narrow hips.

Naruto gapped at him for making a joke when she didn't feel that this should be the time for laughing.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha." He turned back to her and held his hand out to her.

Naruto's hand was grasped firmly in his warm one and he pulled her a little closer as he lowered his head to hers. His lips settled and urged her to open her mouth.

Naruto's head spun as she was kissed by the Uchiha. She certainly knew who he was as all the girls in her class didn't mind talking about him in loud whispers. They all seemed to think that they would make him fall in love with them and marry them. Several had even started planning the wedding.

As his tongue worked over hers she suddenly gasped and pushed him away.

"What are you doing?"

He smirked, "Taking you up on your invitation from earlier." His intensely dark eyes bore into her.

She stared at him before dropping her sapphire eyes and shaking her head. "I'm sorry about that." She whispered, "But I didn't know who you were and I was just reacting."

"So you didn't mean to kiss me?"

"No."

"MM…"

"I—I have to go," she said as she bent to lift the soggy book bag over her shoulder.

"I'll walk to home," Sasuke stated with a tone that said to argue with him would be foolish.

Naruto was foolish. "NO! I…I mean thank you for saving me but I don't think it would be a good idea for you to walk me home."

Sasuke's eyebrow lifted in an arrogant slant but he decided to let it go, for now anyway, he didn't want to scare the little kit off right away. "Alright."

"Oh…um…here's you jack…" She started to slid the jacket off.

"Keep it," he said over his shoulder and walked away with a slight wave of his hand.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay!!! Everyone New Update. And I would like to thank all my readers and my personal thanks go to **Itooshi Koneko** – you were my very first review, thank you soo much; **PandaApprovedxx** – Thank you so much and no this isn't my first story, I write all the time I just don't had the courage to publish them yet BUT someday who knows I might be the nest JK Rowling or Stephanie Meyers (hopefully ;)); and **rosetta00 – **Thank you so much!! PS. R&R Please

O.o On with the Story

----

Finally showered and warm in a heavy flannel shirt and sweats, warm wool socks, and fuzzy slippers on my feet, she sat down at my computer and opened up the messenger. Logging on, she searched through the people online.

She found Kiba (doggystyle16) chatting with a couple of girls (prettyinpink and lovechild69). Rolling her eyes she watched the chat disintegrate into a girl fight.

_oh, doggy, please *pets his head*_

_arff! *wags tail as pretty pets head*_

_HEY PRETTY HAND OFF HE'S MINE *wacks pretty with shovel*_

_HEY THAT HURT!!!! sides I can handle threesomes_

Naruto decided to break up the chat before it got worse and Kiba's ego got bigger.

_hands off, ladies, the dog is mine (demonladyfox)_

_who're u?(lovechild)_

_the demonladyfox like the screen name says biotch _

_we were here first slut (pretty)_

_dog, tell the whores who's ur mommy_

_uh, sorry ladies I can't mess with the demon, she's evil_

_hey, dog lets go to the personals and make out_

_ALRIGHT!_

I clicked into the PM and waited for Kiba to say bye to the girls.

_hey, Naruto, how's the school_

_pretty much as lame as always_

_aww that's to bad, but look at it this way, you always have me to look forward to_

_yeah, that's true the drool face who pants after anything with a…_

_hey hey don't stereotype me_

_have you seen neji in the chat I couldn't find him_

_yeah he had to go have dinner but he should be back any minute_

At that a name popped into my messenger, branchman26

_Sup bastards?!_

_hey I resemble that fact (Kiba)_

_hey ho hows the house sitting?(Naruto)_

_hn its still standing barely (Neji)_

_hey Naruto what say we meet up this weekend (Kiba)_

_is the house arrest done? (Naruto)_

_HELL YEAH! thank you very much, nejis's too (Kiba)_

_then sounds good my uncle will be out of town so the watch is looose HURRAY!!! (Naruto)_

_there is that new club opening down town (Neji)_

_really so we're agreed that we'll meet up there? (Kiba)_

_GREAT!!! I HAVE SOOO MUCH TO TELL YOU!!!! (Naruto)_

_so why don't you tell us now while we're here (Neji)_

_well since you asked so nicely (Naruto)_

_hahaha, can't be any worse than getting drunk (Kiba)_

_i almost drowned and a really cute, but arrogant guy saved me (Naruto)_

There was nothing for several minutes as I let the guys process this.

_WHAT!!!!???? (Kiba)_

_you nearly drown, how? (Neji)_

I knew that I could count on Neji wanting to know the details before he flew off the handle and Kiba reacted before knowing everything.

_i was walking home after class and was pushed into the pool (Naruto)_

_who pushed you? did they know that you couldn't swim? was it the guy that saved you? (Neji—_future lawyer)

_i don't know who pushed me i didn't see them and they didn't stick around afterwards. no it wasn't the guy who saved me (Naruto)_

_hey who was the guy who saved you? (Kiba)_

_his name is sasuke uchiha and he is the dream stud of the whole campus (Naruto)_

_SASUKE UCHIHA!!! (Neji)_

_yeah. y? (Naruto)_

_the uchihas are only the richest family in the city. their family has a hand in nearly everything from computers to pharmaceuticals (Kiba)_

_rich huh? y haven't I heard of them? (Naruto)_

_cause your interests are different than political areas maybe? (Neji)_

_hmm…so your more interested in the guy than the fact that i nearly died? some friends did you turn gay all of the sudden? (Naruto)_

_*licks naru's ear* nope (Kiba)_

_okay, okay are YOU alright? (Neji)_

_*sniffs sadly and wipes drool off ear* yes I am fine (Naruto)_

_good and does your uncle know what happened? (Neji)_

_no and we are going to keep it that way (Naruto)_

_hey do you have any idea who would push you into the pool? (Kiba)_

_no it's kind of weird I haven't done anything that i know of (Naruto)_

_no pranks? (Neji)_

_haven't had time or opportunity *sigh* (Naruto)_

_well that's no good, your going to have to come over and we'll work something out (Neji)_

_hey, didn't hinata say that she had a new program that's like a virus but only works for 24 hours? (Kiba)_

_yeah, that just might work but she said that she needed some help from Naruto to make it work properly (Neji)_

_yeah Naruto you definitely have to come over (Kiba)_

_well maybe we should make a day of it and I come over then we go to the club (Naruto)_

_YEAH (Neji)_

_YEAH (Kiba)_

_you know Naruto i was thinking… (Neji)_

_about what? (Naruto)_

_well we are in high school now and we are going to graduate this year, perhaps its time to knock off the pretense and start showing the world that your actually a hell of a lot more intelligent than you have shown the world? (Neji)_

_and shock them into an early grave? (Naruto)_

_hey neji has a point, I mean with better grades you can go to better schools (Kiba)_

_i am going to go to the same school as you, i'd be lost anywhere else (Naruto)_

_what about your banking situation (Neji)_

_what about it? (Naruto)_

_well won't he think that its strange that you aren't getting loans or asking for him to pay for it? (Kiba)_

_i wasn't planning on him knowing that (Naruto)_

_he's a really smart man and i know that he is going to start wondering about how you are paying for things such as tuition and books, clothes, supplies, food, music, car, etc… (Neji)_

_yeah i don't think it's such a bad idea telling him about your…um…side ventures (Kiba)_

_rly i can see the conversation now. uncle iruka, i don't need your money anymore. i have my own see. (Naruto)_

_oh rly Naruto where did you get it? (Naruto—uncle iruka's relpy)_

_well for the past four years I have been writing music and selling it to some rly well known bands and have gotten rly rich from it (Naruto)_

_naruto you have lied to me? ;( *iruka sobs* (Naruto)_

_uncle will you forgive me? (Naruto)_

_how can i? (Naruto)_

_yeah i don't think that it's a convo that i want to have (Naruto)_

_naru i think that you uncle would be proud of you (Neji)_

_and are you going to tell your uncle about that side business of yours? (Naruto)_

…_.(Neji)_

_Haha Neji i don't think that your uncle is going to be proud of you for working in that strip joint even if it was for a night LOLZ (Kiba)_

_your one to talk Kiba you want to explain to your family about that night also? HMMM? (Neji)_

_hey it was all naruto's idea anyway? *backs off* (Kiba)_

_all i did was suggest it as a way of getting enough cash together to pay for the trip to the city to see Godsmack you guys didn't have to go through with it and i told you afterwards that i would have paid for it and i did so that you two would have some padding in your bank accounts (Naruto)_

_true, i used mine to get that new hoodie i've been wanting (Kiba)_

_i used mine to get a laptop (Neji)_

_oh we have a new kid at school (Kiba)_

_that right? (Naruto)_

_yeah his name is shikamaru and his brilliant, i'm talking a certified genius (Kiba)_

_but he is very lazy doesn't like to do much of anything and says everything is too troublesome, he fell asleep during the lecture in chemistry (Neji)_

_nothing new there mr. orochimaru's lectures are soo boring i even fall asleep (Kiba)_

_did ino or sakura win that gaara guy yet? (Naruto)_

_no, ino now has her eye on some college guy and sakura decided that she likes girls better (Kiba)_

_gaara pretty much has scared everyone into keeping there distance from him (Neji)_

_that's too bad, I thought that tat of his was rly sexy (Naruto)_

_changing the subject, did you get the new naruko manga? (Kiba)_

_yeah just got it today from amazon but haven't read it yet, I'M rly excited to see if she can win against the evil atashi!!! (Naruto)_

Naruto spent another hour talking with Kiba and Neji before she was tired enough to go to bed. Signing off she wrapped a large fleece blanket around her shoulders and snuggled under the covers.

Her uncle had moved her into an apartment on campus. She didn't have any roommates and the neighbors were never home. She felt a dull pain shuffle into her heart and identified it as loneliness. Sighing into the pillow, she almost wished that she was back at home with her uncle and looking forward to a day at school with her friends. She hated living alone and she could barely tolerate the silence. She reached out to her ihome and turned it on letting the soothing sounds of Explosions in the Sky drift through the room.

---

I hope that you all enjoyed this part. I wasn't going to publish it this soon but Thanks to the people above I am… Do forget to give a review!!!!


	3. Chapter 3

This is for ** Itooshii Koneko, Mimsy and the Borogroves, rosetta00, and Pandaapprovedxx—**Thank you guys for reviewing !!!!

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The sun infiltrated through a crack in the heavy curtains that hung over the window hitting Naruto in the face. Groaning she squinted at the annoyance and rolled over mumbling. The alarm clock blared dully in the silence before Naruto's hand smacked down over it thumping the snooze.

She wasn't a morning person and she wished that it would quickly change into a more tolerable time of the day. Mornings were sluggish and no human should have to go through them. She had learned to hate them while living with her Uncle Iruka, who was always cheerful and greeted her with a smile to show how much he wasn't human.

Scowling, Naruto turned back and glared at the stupid clock. "Stupid, dobe clock," she growled then pushed the covers back. She swung slender legs over the side of the bed and pushed her three foot fall of blond locks back from her forehead.

_What is today? _She thought through the haze of sleep. _Hmm…Friday?_

The thought that is was the last day of school for the week brightened her morning considerably. Now excited to get the day over with, she bounced out of bed and nearly landed on her face as the clothing that was strung about came alive and tripped her. Muttering darkly about killer cloths, she righted herself and went into the bathroom to get ready for school.

--

The bell rang loudly signaling that it was time for class change. It was the last class of the day and everyone was gearing up for the start of the weekend. People stood at lockers putting away books and grabbing new one while talking about how so and so was having a party and would you be there? Or 'I'm going to our vacation home with Jenny Meyers and I'm going to get a home run'. Naruto over heard this and thought, _Good luck with that, Jenny was the school bike and I hope you don't come home with the clap._

She had been here long enough to know who the most popular people were and who had the worst reputations.

Opening her locker, she took a sharp intake of breath and stared wide eyed at the inside. Slamming the locker shut, she darted up the hall taking deep steadying breaths until her stomach cramped and she broke into a run. Reaching the bathroom, she shove aside a body blocking the doorway and slapped her hands against the door to open it and plunged into the first stall to loose the breakfast of cornflakes she had eaten and the lunch she hadn't. Once the contents of her stomach were placed elsewhere she slumped weakly to the ground. She reached up and flushed the mess.

"Are you alright?" a familiar, dark voice asked.

Naruto closed her eyes in defeat and groaned silently before getting to her feet and leaving the stall.

She glared at Sasuke as she walked over to the sink and turned the cold water on. He was wearing his ever present 'I don't have any emotions and even if I did I wouldn't let a lowlife like you see them' expression. She bent over and swiped the cool liquid into her mouth, swished it around, then spit it into the sink. She did this a couple of more timed before she allowed herself to gulp some down. Feeling slightly better but no less embarrassed she turned to face him.

"Why do you show up when I'm at my worst?" she asked.

The corners of his full, lush and kissable mouth lifted imperceptibly. Naruto wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been staring at it.

"Hmm…" Sasuke hummed, "perhaps it is fate telling me that I need to be your guardian angel?"

Naruto snorted before she tried to step passed him only to be brought up short by his arm shooting out and blocking her path.

"Are you sick?"

"No, I'm not sick so if you would please move your arm I need to go talk to the principal about a matter that seems more urgent than talking with you," she muttered snidely, proud of herself for not talking in breathless tones at his nearness.

His arm lifted and Naruto stalked angrily out of the bathroom and down the now empty hallway.

"Don't you have a class that you need to be in?" She asked him when she noticed that he was following her.

"No, I just thought I would hang out with you and find out why you're so upset that you puked," he murmured as he strode down the hall matching his longer stride to her shorter one.

Frowning, she decided to ignore him.

She pushed the office door open and walked inside. The receptionist sat calmly behind her desk and she filed her perfect nails into sharp points and looked up to frown at the people who just entered.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun," she gushed simperingly, then nail file dropping to the desk as her hands clasped under her chin and she fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Naruto rolled her eyes and stepped forward. "I need to talk to the principal, please."

The woman looked at Naruto with disdain and her eyes took in everything from the ripped at the knee black jeans and the white button up men's dress shirt complete with black and red bat tie. Her nose wrinkled but she stood up and moved to the inner door and opened it.

"Tsunade, there is a young lady and Sasuke Uchiha to see you."

"Go ahead and send them in," the calm, honeyed voice of the principal said.

The receptionist stepped back and motioned for them to enter. Naruto straightened her shoulders and walked calmly past her and through the door. She felt more than seen Sasuke jump as he too followed her past the receptionist. She turned to see Sasuke frown at the woman who smiled up at him with hearts in her eyes.

Ignoring the two, Naruto turned back to the principal who was glaring at her receptionist. The woman closed the door behind her leaving the two students alone with Tsunade.

"Okay, you two, you had better had a good reason to be out of class," she barked as she shuffled papers on her desk and set them aside. Her hands clasped together waiting for the students to speak.

"Sorry, to disturb you Principal Tsunade, but there is a situation that I think you need to be informed about," Naruto started awkwardly trying to come up with the words to describe it.

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"Um…someone left something in my locker that I think you need to see," Naruto rushed out.

"And what does Sasuke have to do with this?"

"Nothing--"

"I found Naruto in the bathroom puking and decided that I needed to accompany her here just incase she collapsed," Sasuke interrupted.

"I see. Naruto, what was left in your locker?

Naruto paled even further and swallowed down the bile that rose to her throat. "I think it's a dead animal. Or rather I hope it's a dead animal and not something else."

Tsunade's eyes widened as her brows drew further down if such a thing were possible.

"Show me."

The trio made their way back to Naruto's locker where Tsunade gingerly opened it and stared at the thing inside. She closed the locker and turned to a very pale Naruto who had turned away from the scene before Tsunade could open it. She definitely didn't want to see that again.

"Do you know who would do this?" Tsunade asked, as her honeyed voice slipped into a tone with more heat in it.

"No," Naruto said, her head was beginning to hurt.

"Principal Tsunade," Sasuke said, "I fished Naruto out of the pool earlier this week, she doesn't know how to swim and she nearly drowned. When I asked her why she was in the pool in the first place she told me that someone had pushed her in. I didn't believe her at first because I didn't see anyone else around but in light of these circumstances, perhaps she was telling the truth."

Tsunade watched Sasuke in surprise, that was the most she had ever heard out of his mouth at anyone time. Then she decided on a course of action, she turned and stomped back to her office, motioning the students to do the same.

Tsunade was immediately on the phone to the police, explaining in detail everything that had gone on before hanging up and looking at the pair.

"Have a seat; the police will be here soon. Oh and Naruto, you need to get a hold of your Uncle because seeing as how you are a minor, his presence is needed to question you."

Naruto groaned, _Just what I need, Uncle Iruka showing up._ Naruto took out her cell, flipped it open and dialed Iruka's number as she stepped out of the office and then out of the front doors wanting as much privacy as possible for this conversation.

Uncle Iruka's secretary answered on the second ring in a voice that said she was running at a fast pace. The office must be very busy.

"Grace will you tell my uncle that I need to talk to him? It's urgent."

A few seconds later her uncle was talking at her in stern tones.

"Naruto what have you done now," he demanded. Naruto could hear the rustle of papers in the back ground.

"It wasn't me this time, Uncle, I swe--"

"I've heard that before," her uncle interrupted impatiently. "Just get to the point."

Naruto's shoulders fell in defeat as she said, "There was something in my locker, a dead animal I think. Principal Tsunade had called the police and they need you here to talk to me." Naruto wished fervently that her uncle would believe her just this once but she knew that it wasn't going to happen.

"Naruto, I told you that this was your one last shot and stepping up to your responsibilities. I told you that any more troublemaking and I would send you to a military academy." Iruka bit out harshly.

"Yes, Uncle," Naruto nearly whispered. She did know all of that and tears pricked at her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She knew that she was going to end up in that military academy and she wasn't even going to be able to send her friends a slow mail letter.

"I'll be there in ten minutes," her uncle stated before he hung up the phone.

Naruto dropped her head and looked down at the grey cement. She sat down on the top step as she waited for the police and her uncle to arrive.

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Okay new chapter for my readers coming soon. And I promise that there is going to be a lemon soon just wait and I hope it turns out well. Sasuke and Naruto both say hi and they urge you to leave a REVIEW when you are done. All comments welcome THANK YOU!!!!! *jumping up and down in ecstasy*

New saying: I wonder if a bird every wakes up in the morning and say to another bird…hold on just bare with me…today I am going to kill two humans with one stone.

cya later


	4. Chapter 4

The police arrive with full lights blazing and announcing to the whole school that something was wrong in their midst. Teachers tried to keep order in their class but failed as the students lined up along the windows ignoring their demands that they get back in their seats.

Naruto stood at the back of the procession as they all trooped down to her locker once again. The police emptied the locker of everything; books, papers, dead cat, and even the candy wrappers that she had been too lazy to throw away. She knew it was a cat; the officer had said so as they had bagged it in a sack and sealed it with red tape.

She watched as they swiped a dark grey dust everywhere and then placed a sticky tape over it and peeled it off again. She saw them frown at each other then whisper to Tsunade before moving back down the hall.

Tsunade stood back until they left then led Naruto and Sasuke back down the hall to her office. Once again they were seated in chairs as they waited for the officers to come back.

"Principal Tsunade, do you mind if we use your office, we would like to keep this as quiet as possible," one of the officers stated as he pushed a stick of gum between his lips.

_Too late for that, _Naruto thought with a smirk. _Everyone in the school is going to know by tomorrow morning including their parents._

"That will be fine," Tsunade huffed in irritation before standing. "Why don't you start with Sasuke, while we wait for Naruto's…." She broke off as Uncle Iruka strode through the door. "Oh, Iruka, thank you for taking time out of your day to come down. I'm sure that we will have this straightened out in no time and the person or persons responsible found."

Iruka glared at Naruto before turning back to the principal. "I don't have any doubts that you will but to get this over quickly I would like to point out that Naruto has pulled these stunts before and you will find that this time is no different."

Naruto studied her fingers and twisted them about before admonishing herself to quit fidgeting. She knew that she didn't have anything to be nervous about and stuffed her hands under her legs to stop the habit. She felt a deep hurt begin in her heart as she listened to her uncle's words.

"Really?" Tsunade said. "Does she jump into pools and try to drown herself too?"

Uncle Iruka paused at this revelation before he turned to Naruto. "Is this true?"

"I was pushed," Naruto whispered as her uncle came to tower over her; which was a good feat seeing as how he barely topped 5'8".

"Naruto, why didn't you call and tell me about this," Iruka demanded in a gruff voice. "I know that you wouldn't have done something like that." He dropped into a squat before her and pulled one of her hands out and held it. "What happened?"

Naruto told him about walking home then being pushed into the pool. She told him that Sasuke Uchiha had fished her out. But she didn't tell him about the rest.

Iruka turned to the young man that was watching the whole thing with an impassive face as if he was watching a TV documentary. "Thank you, I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to Naruto."

Naruto was stunned and she looked at her uncle with a hopeful expression. "Then…you…believe me?"

Iruka squeezed her hand then leaned forward and set a gentle kiss on her forehead. "For some reason, I do."

Naruto felt tears gather in her eyes and tried to blink them back but failed. Tears leaked out as relief coursed through her. Iruka gathered her into his arms and held her like he had as a child when she woke in the middle of the night because of a nightmare. He rocked her gently for a few minutes until she regained her composure. She pulled away but kept her face hidden in her hair. She was embarrassed at her show of weakness in front of so many people. She never cried in front of anyone, not even Kiba or Neji.

"Okay, let's have the officers question Naruto, so that her uncle can take her home. You don't mind having to wait do you Sasuke," Tsunade said interrupting the moment and taking control of the situation again.

"No, I'm fine with that," Sasuke murmured. For some reason he felt a flicker of jealousy at the man holding Naruto. He wanted to be the one to comfort her, but he wasn't about to let that emotion show, so he stood and left the two people in the room with the officers.

He leaned against the far wall facing the door, ignoring the come hither looks the receptionist was sending his way. He had been there and sold the t-shirt at a yard sell. His half closed eyes never wavered from the door as he lost himself in thoughts.

He had felt concern when he had seen Naruto's pale face when she had pushed past him without even bothering with an 'excuse me.' He had even felt worry when he had heard her throwing up. Then when he had caught a glimpse of the dead mutilated cat in the locker he too had felt sick to his stomach and a creeping sense of dread filter through his usually stoic self.

He had felt an urge to kick himself when he had left Naruto at the pool to walk home by herself. Not for letting her go but for not taking advantage of the situation earlier. He would never have let anyone else come on to him like that and pushed them away. He just couldn't figure out what it was about this girl that made him want to be a better person.

He had stood back and listened to several of his male classmates speculate about her, and he had listened carefully to the gossip through the school. Apparently, Naruto had been transferred here a month ago because she and two guys from her last school had been found drunk and in an extremely compromising position.

_So it wasn't like she was a virgin or anything_, he thought to himself.

The rest of the gossip was that she had one last chance to straighten up or her uncle was going to confine her to a military school or in a nunnery, the school was undecided about which.

After hearing what her uncle had said, he believed that some of it was true. He had even felt the hurt for her when her uncle had coldly stated that she did things like this to draw attention to herself, and to top that he had felt a fleeting relief when her uncle had said that he believed her. He had seen the cold determination in his eyes when he had walked into the room and knew that Naruto would be gone by the end of the day, but if he believed that she hadn't done this then there was a chance that she was staying. He would just have to do some fast thinking and even faster talking if that wasn't the case. He wasn't about to let Naruto go. She was his.

The door opened and the officers motioned him inside. He stood aside as Naruto's uncle came out of the door followed by the girl.

"Iruka, would you mind staying a bit. I know that I said you could leave but I've been thinking and I want to talk with you two about something once Sasuke is finished," Tsunade stated before the door closed behind Sasuke shutting out Iruka's response.

Sasuke spent a few minute going over his side of the story with the officers; which weren't much but they didn't harass him about anything, knowing who he was and who he was connected to, so they finished up quickly and left.

Sasuke stood to go as Tsunade, Naruto, and her uncle came back into the room.

"Sasuke, I would like you to stay and hear what I had to say too, if you don't mind."

Sasuke nodded at the principal and took his seat once more. Naruto took the seat next to him while her uncle stayed standing.

"I have been thinking while we waited for the officers to finish up with their questions. Mostly about what you said earlier, Iruka, about Naruto." Tsunade pause to glance at the brightly flushed girl before continuing. "I'm wondering if you would allow a few concessions while Naruto is here. One being, that she start seeing a student counselor assigned to her, one that she would report to once a week. This person could guide her and perhaps become a friend since Naruto hasn't made any since she has been here."

Iruka frowned as he looked to Naruto then back at Tsunade. "That seems like a good idea, and I am wondering if that person is this boy here?"

Sasuke frowned slightly at being labeled 'this boy'. He wasn't used to people referring to him in such a way. Usually they were too intimidated by his reputation, but this man wouldn't know about that.

"Yes, I was thinking that Sasuke would be a good candidate for the job. He has counseled some of the other students in the past and they're doing well. Also, I was thinking that Naruto should get a job, it would help ground her so that she doesn't spend so much time alone in her apartment."

It was Naruto's turn to frown. _A job? But she already had a job, sort of._

Iruka was already nodding, "That sound like a great idea. Do you have one in mind?"

"I do, my niece has a little cleaning company that goes into the houses of the elderly and cleans them. I think that would be perfect for her. She could do it after school and every other weekend. This would keep her occupied and perhaps out of trouble."

"Good, that seems like a solid plan. So I will leave it to you to arrange, then." Iruka straightened then turned to Naruto. He smiled warmly at her scowl then helped her out of her seat.

"Good, then I will contact Shizune and she can begin on Monday," Tsunade said. "Are you fine with being a counselor again, Sasuke?"

His lips turned up into that slight smirk that no one seemed to see. "Yes, I would be delighted to help Naruto out."

"Good."

---

Iruka walked Naruto up to her apartment. He had seen the place only once before but now he was seeing a different version of the place. In several pots, shielded from the harsher elements, were flowers growing. Some held Iris and brightly colored pansies, while some of the larger pots held an arrangement of tall grasses and even more exotic flowers.

"Hmm," he commented, "someone must have a green thumb; these look good."

Naruto didn't say anything but she felt a small burst of happiness that her uncle approved of this little hobby of Naruto's. If he was in this good of a mood then maybe… "Uncle Iruka," Naruto started hesitantly as she opened the door to her apartment and stepped inside then allowed her uncle in. "Would it be alright if I went to Kiba's and Neji's tomorrow?"

"No."

Naruto dropped the subject, if she couldn't get passed him about hanging at their house, then she certainly wasn't going to get permission to go to a club with them. She hid a small smile as she thought that not having permission wasn't going to stop her, it hadn't in the past.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm going to keep going while the story is flowing. SORRY it just came out!!!

My thanks go to **Itooshii** **Koneko, PandaApprovedxx, and Mimsy and the Borogroves**—you guy are great fans; Welcome **Firiegurl, Tyrell05, mimichan88 and —**thanks soo much for the reviews.

Now on with what you really have come to read.

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Naruto stepped outside her apartment and locked it up then turned and came face to face with a large male chest covered in deep blue silk. Her eyes slid up the chest to the neck, the mouth, the aristocratically straight nose and finally to deep obsidian eyes. She stepped back and gasped at how close his was.

"Going somewhere?" his amused voice sounded in the early morning light.

"Yes, not that it's any concern of yours," Naruto shot back.

"But, you see, it is. Principal Tsunade asked me to be your counselor yesterday, remember."

"Counselor, not watch dog." Naruto brushed past him then loped down the stairs to the ground floor.

"Well, as your counselor, I guess I should counsel you in the consequences of your actions right now." He kept pace easily with her energetic stride.

"Really, what I do in her personally time doesn't concern you," she reiterated, her pace sped up.

"Hmm, but as your guardian angel what you do does."

That brought her up short. She turned and stared at him blankly. "Her what?"

"Guardian angel," he smirked at her and she felt the need to punch him to remove that all-knowing smirk of his. It was beginning to irritate the hell out of her. "I have decided to accept the position since I have saved you once already and have no doubt that I will have to do so in the near future."

"Fucking…What the hell?" Naruto snarled. "I am not some incompetent, little, brainless twerp that is always hanging around you in the hallways at school. I don't need you to save me so please get lost!" Naruto swung around and strode to the bus stop as the bus pulled up to it.

Sasuke swung her around before she could step into it. "I'll take you to where you're going." He started to drag her down the street towards a waiting red sports coup but Naruto managed to wrench her wrist out of his grip.

"No, thank you." She turned and jumped onto the bus dropping the change into the container and taking a seat next to an older woman carrying a paper bag full of groceries. The bus' doors closed and it pulled away from the curb. She glanced back to see Sasuke's angry face as he watched the bus move into traffic. She smirked back in a childish show of superiority.

---

"Okay, Naruto, okay, this guy Shikamaru Nara is like a brainiac. He always seems to know the answers to the questions before they are even asked. And the chess club has asked him to join their team for an upcoming tournament. He turned them down though said it was too troublesome and he didn't want to do it." Kiba was talking nonstop as he walked with Naruto and Neji, along with his dog, Akamaru.

Naruto smiled as she walked slowly with her two friends. It felt good to be with them again laughing and enjoying the warm sun as they walked along the river bank.

"So Naruto, Hinata is coming over in about an hour after she finishes her training with her dad. She said she was so excited about this new program and finally getting a chance to go over it with you." Neji said as Kiba ran ahead with Akamaru.

"So am I, it sounds like it's going to be a challenge." Naruto looked out over the landscape. A large field spread out before them, the city was behind and Naruto felt an overwhelming sense of peace. She laughed then took off running after Kiba, urging them both into a race.

Neji hung back watching the three as they raced up the road. He had been worried about Naruto. She had been abnormally quiet when she had arrived at Kiba's door. Now she was back to her old self and Neji felt he could breathe a sigh of relief.

---

"Did you see what I did there, Hinata," Naruto said as she pointed at the laptops screen. Hinata Hyuuga leaned in closer and squinted at the screen.

"Y-yes, that looks great, N-naurto," Hinata stammered watching as Naruto entered in another few commands into the program before shutting it down.

Naruto tucked back a stray strand of hair then rubbed her sore back. They had been at it for nearly two hours straight, since Hinata had arrived at Neji's house.

Neji's mom had looked at Naruto with flagrant disapproval when she had entered along with the boys. His mom seemed to think that Naruto was the influence that was going to end with her son turning into a drug dealing, drug smoking, criminal. Naruto knew that Neji was the only one who was keeping her and Kiba on the straight and narrow, sort of. At least he kept their pranks from crossing the line into vandalism and destruction.

Seeing the look Naruto had barely contained herself from sticking her tongue out at the woman. She had in the past and had her face smacked because of it. Naruto bit her lip to keep from doing so again, Neji seeing the look on Naruto's face quickly ushered them upstairs to his room and shutting the door firmly. Hinata had arrived with her laptop a few minutes later.

"Naruto it's almost time for the club to open, lets say we get there early so that we can get a table before anyone else," Kiba suggested as he grabbed Hinata's hand an pulled her down into his lap.

"Sounds good," she watched the byplay of Kiba whispering in Hinata's ear and her turning an alarming shade of red before bouncing into the connected bathroom to change into a better club going outfit than black jeans and a white Guitar Hero t-shirt that she had picked up at a garage sell. She slipped on a long sleeved black shirt that was cut short at the waist. It would lifted nicely when she raised her hands to show off the cute little belly button ring that she had gotten a week earlier before the trouble started. Her friends didn't know about it yet. She lightly smoothed on eyeliner and mascara then highlighted her sapphire eyes with light grey that lightened the color slightly to a deep sparkling blue. She smoothed lip gloss into place and brushed a light sprinkle of body glitter over her face, neck, and exposed chest and arms. She brushed out her hair then pinned it into place with a few bobby pins.

She let Hinata have the bathroom while she finished by pulling on a chain that wrapped around her hips a couple of time draping low and emphasizing her slender hips and waist. Next came a silver scarf that she loosely tied around her thigh a couple of times.

Kiba wasn't shy about pulling his t-shirt over his head and exposing a nice set of abs. He laughed at her appreciative look then pulled on a red silk shirt that had a nice design of black embroidery up the front along the buttons. Hinata came out wearing a cut little black and silver dress. Her pixie hair had been tousled like she had just gotten out of bed. Kiba howled at her, causing another blush to seep into her perfect complexion. Neji was the next in the bathroom and changed into a pink silk shirt and black slacks that didn't fail to show off his long legs and wide shoulders.

They piled into Neji's sedan with Naruto and Hinata in the back while Kiba claimed shotgun.

The club was well lit with millions of Christmas lights shining from the ceiling their wires lost in the darkness. Several rotating light balls, spotlights, and even a mirrored ball helped to light the place up. It was almost full when the four arrived. They found a large table on an upper balcony that over looked the floor; claiming the table they ordered a round of soda's from passing waitress.

It wasn't long before their table was full of people. Sakura showed up alone and much to her disgust Ino came pulling an older guy with her, and then the rest pulled up chairs. Shino first then Chouji, who had brought the infamous Shikamaru with him; Lee, Ten-Ten, and even Gaara, who looked around with a cold aloof mask his tat standing out in red relief against his nearly white face. The group found out that Ino's date was a guy named Sai from the nearby college.

Shino pulled Hinata away from Kiba long enough to get one dance from her before Kiba's possessiveness kicked in and her went to get Hinata back. Naruto watched laughing as he stepped between Shino and Hinata, who was once again red faced.

"When did that happen?" She had to shout to be heard above the pounding music.

"A month ago. It was like one day Hinata wasn't there and then she was," Neji explained as he sipped at his drink.

"Wow."

Kiba had pulled Hinata in and was kissing the red out of her. Naruto ducked her head then looked out at the rest of the crowd. She recognized some of the students from the school she now attended among the many club goers.

A fall of dark hair and a deep blue shirt caught her attention. Sasuke was there dancing with some black haired girl who kept slink up to him and running her hands over his chest. Naruto frowned as she watched the spectacle. She dragged her eyes away from the couple and turned back around.

"Hey guys, I have to use the rest room so I'll be back in a jiff, 'kay," she said as she stood to leave.

She pushed her way through eh crush of hot sweaty bodies and fought her way to the bathroom. She had nearly reached to door when two hard hands grabbed her from behind and pulled her into an equally hard body.

Hot fetid breath whispered across her ear as a gravelly voice spoke, "Hey sugar pie, I've been watching you all night. How about we go outside and find us a nice dark corner."

Almost as soon as the words were spoken the guy was jerked away from her.

"Excuse me, but the lady is taken," Sasuke said as he held the man by the throat nearly a foot of the ground. People around the three stopped and stared as Sasuke shook the guy then threw him into the wall. "Do you understand?"

The man nodded quickly before Sasuke released him. The man disappeared into the crowd holding his throat; no doubt that he would be looking for someone to make a complaint to.

"You didn't need to do that," Naruto said as she trembled at the violence that she had just witnessed.

"Apparently, I did. I told you earlier that you would need to be rescued. Again." The hateful smirk was back in place and in full force.

Naruto snarled then spun on her heels to come face to face with her friends. Neji, Kiba, and Gaara placed themselves deliberately in front of her while Lee and Shino took up positions on either side of her. Everyone else was at her back.

"I think that we're enough to keep Naruto safe," Kiba growled deeply.

"Really, then where were you when she nearly drowned?" Sasuke shot back. "Or just now when some stranger nearly dragged her out?"

"We couldn't help with the drowning but we saw the guy approaching and were here just seconds after you. He wouldn't have made it two feet before we had him," Neji stated calmly.

"I think that you need to do a better job with your guard duties then," Sasuke commented snidely. He could feel a snarl trying to break through his usual coldness.

"We've done just fine without you butting in," Kiba was nearly foaming at the mouth.

Gaara just stood silently and watched the whole thing with a glare that could scare a bear off at ten paces.

"If you haven't been paying attention we have been doing so all night," Neji said with a slight curl of his upper lip, the legendary Hyuuga disdain coming through. "Any time someone has wanted to dance with her someone would find a way to distract them. Either by sending someone over to start chatting them up or if they got through that line of defense then by the rest of us subtly intimidating them into deciding it would be healthier for them to find a new partner."

Gaara finally smirk and Naruto knew who had been the intimidation factor. He had garnered a well earned reputation for being vicious.

She was annoyed and grateful for her friends concern about her safety and well being. She also knew that it wasn't just for her but for every girl in the group. Unless the girl showed an interest in the guy then they certainly wouldn't have been bothered by a stranger asking for a dance.

The club manager showed up at the moment. "Alright you guys please take it outside the club. You're disturbing the rest of the crowd who came here to have fun not watch an argument." The manager ushered everyone outside.

The group broke up and began to pile into various cars in the parking lot. Neji was standing by his while Hinata and Kiba had already climbed in. Naruto started towards it before being brought up short by a hand at her wrist.

"Naruto, I'll take you home if you would like,' Sasuke said as he tugged her around to face him.

"No, that's alright. Neji will drop me off," Naruto said as she looked at his long fingers holding her slim wrist.

"It's out of his way, and…" Sasuke stopped short of what he was going to say next breathed a few times then, "I want to talk to you."

Naruto raise her eyes to meet his glittering black orbs. She tried to see past the haughty cold emotions that were always present on his face to the deeper ones that were hidden. She thought that she caught a hint of sadness but then thought that it was her imagination trying to place her emotions on someone else.

"Alright, but I have a can of pepper spray just to warn you." Naruto quickly rushed to Neji before he became impatient and joined them.

"Neji, I'm going to let Sasuke see me home," she said.

"Neji frowned, "Do you think that that is a good idea?"

"Maybe not but…I don't know! I feel like I should. He says he wants to talk to me so…" Naruto fidgeted as she spoke telling Neji that she was nervous about the whole thing.

"Naruto, I'm your best friend and seeing you this nervous tells me that you should just get in the car and I'll take you home. If he wants to talk then he can do it over the phone at a nice safe distance."

Naruto laughed, then stilled. "It's not because I'm scared, but because it's just him. He's had plenty of chances to do something dastardly but he hasn't taken advantage of them. I have heard about his reputation and I know that he is ruthless when it comes to getting the things he wants. He has had plenty of girls, women, throw themselves at him and he's taken advantage of them but…for some reason I want to trust him." Naruto tried to explain but thought she sounded like a baka.

Neji laughed softly at her, Naruto wasn't a very trusting person and if she felt she could trust this guy Sasuke then he would just have to trust her. He leaned down and spoke softly to her. "Okay, but if anything happens I am going to string him up by his balls and play hit the piñata until they fall off. And I am going to go over there and tell him that right now, so tell Kiba and Hinata goodbye while I do so." He kissed Naruto's cheek softly before striding away.

Naruto explained that she was going to get a ride home with Sasuke, much to their surprise and protests. She hugged Kiba and squeezed Hinata's hand before clambering out of the car. She jogged over to Neji and Sasuke; they shook hands when they saw her coming. Neji was frowning and Sasuke looked as impassive as ever, he could give Gaara a run for his money.

"Ready?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah,"

"Just remember what I said," Neji glowered at Sasuke.

"I will," Sasuke smirked before turning away from the teen and striding to his coup.

Naruto hugged Neji. "I'll call you when I get home, okay?"

"You had better." Neji squeezed her once more time before letting go.

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Hoped you liked this chapter, don't forget to REVIEW please!

Makes you want to play piñata, doesn't it!!! 333 Muahahahah!

Okay, enough silliness, cya


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks everyone for the wonderful review you gave for the last chapter. I'm so glad that you enjoyed them!!! Here's the new one! Yah! Warning: there is a major lime in this one so beware!

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Naruto sat in silence in the passenger seat of Sasuke's little sports coupe. She listened to the engine growl in response to Sasuke's manipulation of the gears and gas. The nervousness that she had felt earlier was compounded by the closed silence in which they were in now.

"Have you eaten dinner?" Sasuke asked breaking the quiet.

"No," she answered in confusion then gripped the door handle as he whipped the car into the parking lot of a restaurant. "I'm not very hungry."

"I am." He pulled into a space then shut the engine off abruptly leaving them in an even deeper silence than before.

She sat for a few seconds then turned to face him. "Look, I…"

"I'm not very good with the whole dating scene," he said coldly as he met her eyes, a scowl deepening the lines between his eye brows. "I just want to talk to you and I thought that it would be easier over a meal in a crowded restaurant. I am hoping to avoid temptation here, okay."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise and her mouth opened slightly.

"Just like now," he murmured as he raise one hand and traced her lips with his thumb leaving behind a tingling warmth. He dropped his hand and opened the car door getting out. He strode quickly around to the other side and opened hers.

Naruto walked with Sasuke into the restaurant where the hostess seated them at a quiet table near a bank of windows that over looked a small lake where several boats were floating. She smoothed the white linen table cloth and shifted the silverware around. She plucked absently at small unseen lint as she tried to think of something to say.

"Mostly I want to get to know you," Sasuke said as he played with the water drops on the glass where they had condensed.

"There really isn't anything to know," she said and watched the long fingers of his hand.

"Really, where were you born?"

"Here. I was born and raised here."

"How did you end up living with your uncle?"

Naruto paused and felt the familiar loneliness crawl into that space in her heart. "They died in a car wreck when I was five. It was their anniversary and they wanted to have a date, so I was left with a babysitter. I remember, I was a huge brat that night. I wanted to go with them to the fancy restaurant and I cried and yelled when they left. I even remember telling them that I hated them and wished they wouldn't come back," Naruto's voice dropped into a whisper. "They didn't."

Sasuke picked up her hand and kissed the knuckles, "They knew that you didn't mean those things, I'm sure they loved you deeply. Parents just know those things." His voice was comforting and she looked up into his eyes.

"I know that, but somewhere inside is that child still blaming herself for being selfish, and thinking that for some reason on that night God granted her stupid wish." Naruto felt a flash of anger and felt more in control. It was better to be angry than to feel helpless and hurt. She pulled her hand out of Sasuke's and tucked it into her lap under the table, fisting it to control her need to lash out.

She thought back to those first few weeks when she had waited at the window of her uncle's house watching every car that went by thinking that the next one would be her parents. "I don't know when I finally accepted that my parents weren't going to come and take me home. I know that after a while I just quit waiting, I remember going up to my room and taking a marker and drawing on every surface I could find. I found some safety scissors and put holes in all my clothes; which was rather hard. I cut off all the hair on my dolls and then ripped apart every stuffed animal I could find. I felt that I didn't deserve these things and I needed to get rid of them before someone else did it."

"Naruto…" Sasuke muttered as he watched mixed emotions stream across the vixen's face.

"Once everything was destroyed I snuck down to the kitchen and found some garbage sacks. I didn't want to get into trouble for making a mess so I cleaned it up and hauled the sacks out to the garage. I couldn't reach up high enough to put them in so I just left them sitting next to the can. My uncle I guess found them and knew what I had done because the next day my closet was filled with brand new clothes and there were several new toys also, but he never said one word about the incident."

"In a psychological perspective, I guess you could say I channeled my grief negatively because after that I started getting into trouble. I would play pranks on the staff, such as taking a plate of muffins they had just baked and feeding it to the ducks. Harmful little things that were just irritating. It wasn't until I was back as school that the pranks became more…destructive.

"I met Kiba and Neji after I had repainted the faces of the school's headmaster. They were also in trouble; Kiba had brought his puppy to school and left him in the coat closet where he made a mess of everyone's shoes and Neji ended up in a fight because a boy had called his cousin, Hinata, a retard. After that we started planning our mischievous deeds; like having ink fall all over the boy that made fun of Hinata, or filling up a teachers gas tank with sugar because he had given us a surprise quiz in which almost everyone got a bad mark.'

"So you guy had appointed yourselves as Robin Hoods or something like that?" Sasuke asked. There was amusement in her voice now when a moment before her tone was empty.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that at least until our last stunt," Naruto looked down in surprise to see a plate of food before her, she had been so lost in telling Sasuke about her childhood that she didn't realize that the waitress had brought her food. She picked up her fork and to a bite of the pasta. It was really good so she tucked into it with vigor.

Sasuke smile as she ate with relish something that he had never seen another girl do. They always would order a salad or something that wouldn't make them gain weight and then would only eat a couple of bites. Where was the sense in taking someone out to dinner and not eating? He just didn't get it so he had quit taking anyone to restaurants and had gone straight to bed with them. But he was glad that he had brought Naruto here, he wanted to take care of her.

They didn't speak again until Naruto had finished her dinner and they were once again back in the car heading for her apartment.

"What happened this last time?" Sasuke asked.

"What?" Naruto said drowsily.

"You said that you were Robin Hoods until this last time," he reminded her.

"Oh, right. Well, I noticed that my uncle kept the bottom drawer of his desk always locked and I began wondering at it. So I picked it and found his stash of JD green, and needless to say I was curious so I helped myself to the bottle and Neji, Kiba and I finished the entire contents," she mumbled as she snuggled into the soft leather seat of the coup. "Much to our deep regret. Not only were we sick as dogs the next day but my uncle transferred me to that school, moved me into an apartment by myself, and Kiba and Neji were put on house arrest for a month." Naruto's voice trailed off and Sasuke looked over to find that she had fallen asleep.

Ten minutes later he was pulling into the parking area in front of Naruto's apartment. He shut the engine off and thought about the best way to get her into the apartment. He settled for waking her because he knew if he tried to carry her he would wake her anyway.

"Naruto," he said loudly and shook her shoulder.

She mumbled something unintelligible then smacked his hand away.

"Naruto!" This time he put a little bite into his voice.

"What?!" she said as her eyes opened then widened as she saw him. "Oh." She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's fine," He said the exited the car and went around to help her out of her side. She stumbled into him. "Uh, have you been drinking?"

"No, it just that I left my legs sleeping in the car," she muttered darkly as she straightened then moved away from his warm, hard body. She took a step to test whether her legs were going to hold then smiled in triumph at him.

He shook his head slightly before taking her hand and tucking it into the crook of his elbow, just in case. He started for the apartment then stopped. "Which way?'

She giggled as she pulled him with her to her apartment. "This way."

She unlocked the door and opened it then she grew self-conscious as she allowed him in. She looked around to make sure that there wasn't stray underwear loafing about the room have escaped the deep dungeon of her hamper. Then she picked up the mess of papers that littered the couch and table and tucked them away into the closest drawer she could.

Sasuke looked around with interest noticing that there was very little personality to the apartment. To him it seemed like she wasn't planning on staying here for that long. There was a calendar hung of the wall with X's crossing out each of the pervious days and her noticed that she had circled nest Saturday in red. A small fish bowl graced the center of the table where an orange beta floated lazily. A clock hung of the wall showing the time but there weren't any poster or pictures. Except for the laptop that sat closed on the small table and the mess of papers that Naruto had just shoved into a drawer there was nothing to say that someone lived here. For some reason Sasuke found that deeply depressing.

He turned to Naruto with a gleam in his eye. She looked up as he took a step towards her causing her beautiful blue eyes to widen. She took a step back. They continued this dance until her back hit the wall behind her.

"Sa—Sasuke?" she whispered in confusion as he took one last step that pressed him against her front.

"Na—Naruto." He took her hands and lifted them until they rested on the wall on either side of her head where he locked them into place.

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**Okay—kids it's time to skip through ADULTS ONLY!!!! So go to the next chapter**

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She was staring at him with frightened eyes that made him smile fully for the first time. The fear turned him on to no end. He liked that he could make her feel scared and unsure, it made him feel powerful. He tipped his head down and took control of her mouth, nibbling at it and urging her to open so that he could plunder the depth of the warm cavern.

"Hn," she moaned as she allowed him access to her. Spikes of pleasure shot through her and deep into her belly. He licked at her lips the dueled with her tongue before stroking over it soothingly when he won.

"Mm," he raised his head to stare at he swollen red lips. He smiled into her dazed eyes and watched in amusement as she came back to herself.

"Why did you do that?" she asked when she could finally speak.

"Because you make me hard," he stated he still had a hold of her wrists and he pressed his lower half into her making her gasp. She moved against the bulge trying to get closer to him.

She groaned in frustration, her body out of her control as it tried to find a relief she couldn't name. She wanted his mouth back and so much more.

He returned to ravish her mouth, and moving against the notch at her thighs. He felt her tugging at her wrist but he held them firmly against the wall trapping her. He left her lips and licked his way across her jaw line and down her throat. He found a particularly sensitive spot at the hollow where her shoulder met her neck and he nuzzled there enjoying her little whimpers. He moved brushed his mouth across the fabric to find her nipples stiffly tenting the black shirt. He breathed warmly against them and felt her shudder and arch her back to get closer. He brushed his lips against the pebbled peak before opening his mouth and tugging at it with his teeth.

Naruto cried out and gasped as Sasuke bit her, nibbling gently, her eyes fluttered against her cheeks and she pushed the mutinous traitor forward. Sasuke rewarded her by locking his lips around it and suckling her through the cloth. She twisted against him in need and felt a hot surge of warmth between her legs. Her knees buckled unable to hold her up anymore and Sasuke caught her and laid her back against the floor while he continued to torture her breast.

With a muted chuckle, he moved to the other and gave it the same treatment. He released her hand and felt her fingers grip his head and hold him against her. He brushed his hands down her sides to the hem of her shirt. He pushed it up until her chest was exposed to his gaze. She wore a peach bra that was easily undone by a front latch which he made quick work.

Her breasts were firm and the rosy nipples puckered in the cool air. They were large enough that he could cup them in his hands easily without the excess most men wanted. He licked the tips quickly wringing a sharp gasp from her and causing her to arch her back even more. He sipped at the tip of one while kneading the other with his hand and tugging the perky tip with his fingers causing her moan and whimper even more.

He leaned away from her and watched her body as he ghosted his finders over her smooth abdomen and traced her hip bones with light brushes before he tugged at the button on her jeans releasing it then he leaned forward and grasped the tongue of the little mettle zipper and pulled it down. She wore peach underwear that matched the bra he had discarded earlier. He placed a gentle kiss against the V where the jeans parted and she trembled visible with a hiccupping little cry.

He caressed the skin just above the lacy band before dipping his fingers under it. He stroked the downy little curls that he found there before dipping his fingers into her center to stroke over her clit.

Hot fluid coated his fingers as he rubbed the hardened bud. Her hips jerked and lifted to his touch and the breathy little "Ugh" told him that she was about to come. He pressed against the nub firmly and stroked it a couple of times. She came with a beautiful shriek and liquid flowed over his hand coating it.

He smiled and pulled his hand out of her pants to lift his fingers to his lips. He licked the pearly liquid from his fingers tasting her ecstasy which was sweet and spicy.

She laid quietly afterwards her eyes closed but she hadn't released her grip from his hair. He nuzzled her hip bone and licked the area where the edge dipped inward leaving a little hallow. He petted the inside of her thigh soothingly and waited for her to settle down.

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Okay you can open your eyes now!!! Please leave a review and I'll talk to you soon!!!


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks Panda and Itooshii--I'm glad you like the lime..Tyrell—sorry it was unexpected I told Sasuke that it was too soon but he disagreed, said he hated doing the expected and there you have it. *mumbles 'stupid Sasuke'* Still glad you thought it was good.

Here's the next chapter!

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Her heart was pounding in her chest like she had just run a marathon. Naruto lay with her eyes closed and tried to bring her thoughts, her feelings under control. Her body was still suffused with pleasure, continuing to spasm sending spikes of delight throughout the nerve endings and pushing a moan to her throat, which she refused to allow out.

The ringing of the phone suddenly brought her out of the trance that she had dropped into and her eyes widened in horror.

"Shit! I forgot to call Neji!" She scrambled pushing Sasuke away and crawling over to the table to grab it from its resting place next to her laptop. Breathing harshly she tapped the talk button then pulled her shirt down and ignored the bra that dangled awkwardly from her shoulders.

"Where the HELL have you been?" Iruka shouted into the phone.

Naruto instantly pulled it away from her ear. "Hi, Uncle Iruka, um…I was…"

"No, don't tell me," he growled in a good imitation of a dog protecting a bone, "you went to your friends even after I told you not to."

"Good guess," Naruto looked at Sasuke then whose eyebrow had lifted as he reclined of the floor. He smiled sensually at her and lifted his hand back to his mouth. His tongue appeared and he swiped it over a digit watching her the whole time. She flinched slightly, closed her eyes, and turned away from the seductive Uchiha.

"Girl, I wouldn't continue pushing my luck, if I were you," Iruka was saying. "I was worried sick about you when I couldn't get a hold of you after my meetings. I have been wasting my day trying to call you!"

"I'm sorry, Uncle Iruka," Naruto said in her most contrite voice as she tried to sooth him over the phone. "It's just that I haven't seen them in over a month and, well, after yesterday and all…I…" Naruto broke off, unable to express her feelings in words.

"You…What?" Iruka demanded, though his tone had softened greatly at the reminder that he had nearly lost his niece.

"I was feeling homesick," she rushed to say though the words were run together.

Silence greeted her over the phone and Naruto thought that she had over shared a little too much and caused her uncle to have a heart attack.

"Uncle?" she asked hesitantly.

"Naruto, I am sending a car over to pick you up. My schedule has been cleared as we will spend it together." He wasn't asking and Naruto knew better than to argue when he was like this. She had never won and neither had anyone else for that matter.

"Okay," Naruto whispered. The phone went dead without even a goodbye which was just like her uncle so Naruto pushed the off button and set the phone down only to pick it back up and dial Neji.

"Where have you been?" Neji demanded as soon as he answered.

"Um…talking with my uncle who asked the very same question not five minutes ago."

"What about the half hour before that when I was expecting you call and didn't get one?" Naruto could see him in her mind standing in his room with a hand on his hip.

"I was having dinner at a lovely restaurant," Naruto said in her best haute cultured voice.

"With Uchiha?" his was a little better than mine since he has had more practice.

"Yes."

"Where is he now?"

"He went home."

"Lie." Naruto had never been able to figure out how Neji knew that she was lying especially over the phone.

"Fine, he is still here," Naruto began to pace still not looking at Sasuke who had picked himself up off the floor and was leaning against the wall where he was first started his seduction.

"Why?"

"Does it matter, and the monosyllables are beginning to get annoying."

She hear Neji blow out a frustrated breath then ask, "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Did he…?"

"Yes." Naruto swallowed and closed her eyes.

"Do you want me to come over?" His voice became gentle and concerned.

Naruto felt the prick of tears against the back of her eyelids but refused to let them fall because then Neji would hear and he would think that Sasuke had hurt her when it was just her own hormones and emotions that were to blame. "No."

"Lie."

Naruto took a deep breath before trying again, "I'm fine, Neji, really I can handle the consequences of my actions."

"Did you at least use protection?" Neji asked.

"It didn't get _that_ far," Naruto said stressing the 'that'.

She hear a sigh of relief and shook her head.

"Thank goodness for small miracles," he stated, "Call me if you want me to come over, I'll wake Kiba and we will be there in ten."

"Thanks, but I'm fine, oh and I am spending the day with Iruka. Scary, huh?"

"Yeah, good luck with that," Neji was sincere in wishing me luck.

"Goodnight then, Neji."

"Sleep tight, Naruto."

We hung up.

I walked over to the counter where the base for the phone was and placed it in its cradle before taking a deep breath and turning to Sasuke. His head was cocked to the side as he studied my with his normal impassive face. His arms were folded over his chest while his shoulder rested against the wall.

"What just happened, you know, with the floor and all was a mistake," Naruto began as she gathered her courage and met the stoic onyx gaze.

"Did feel like a mistake," Sasuke smirked. His eyes took in the flustered look on her face and the red cheeks. "I think you're just embarrassed that your friend found out about it."

Naruto remained silent but her head dropped and she studied a brown stain on the carpet.

"Naruto," Sasuke said as he straightened and approached her, "I don't know what this is or will become but…" he pause as an unfamiliar tenderness grew, "I want to see where this is going to go."

She looked up and saw the tenderness in his eyes, confused and off balance she shook her head and folder her arms across her chest as if she were trying to hold in the warmth when the entire world had frozen over.

Sasuke reached out a hand to rub against her arm but dropped it when she flinched away. He sighed inwardly and decided that space would probably be for the best right now.

"I'm going to go now, it's been a long day and I'm sure that you're worn out. Enjoy your day with you uncle and if I don't see you before, I will see you on Friday." He turned and let himself out of the apartment.

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"Naruto!" The sharp bark broke into Naruto's thought drawing her back to the present. "I have been sitting here talk to you and you haven't heard a word I've said."

Iruka was sitting in a leather wing chair studying her with hawkish eyes. Between them was a glass and stone chess board where a game was in progress. Naruto absently studied it before making her move. "Sorry, Uncle. What were you saying?"

Iruka leaned back and watched his niece as she brushed a long strand of hair away from her face. It had been a while since he had sat down and played a game of chess with her and he was just now realizing how long it had been. His lips tightened with regret and a mild sense of wonder and he gave her his complete attention.

Naruto had grown into a beautiful young woman and she was fiercely headstrong. He could remember when she had been much younger, she had always been bouncing around the house getting into trouble and annoying the household staff daily. She had laughed brightly; just the sound had been enough to lift everyone's spirits. Her sunny smile had worked its way deep into his heart. Even the times when they had clashed hadn't deterred the girl's spirits.

He sighed and wondered if he had missed something along the way. These past ten years he had devoted most of his time to his business, at first gathering clients and then figuring out ways to keep them, when his main competition was Uchiha Industries. It had been a struggle to climb up to a position where his company was making a profit and compete with the dominant Uchiha's. But along the way he now felt that he had missed something vital. Raising Naruto.

"Uncle?"

It was his turn to be brought out of his reverie and back into the present. He shook off the nostalgia and reached out to life his knight and set it in front of a pawn. "Naruto, I have been thinking--"

"God forbid," Naruto interrupted then her eyes widened as she realized what she had just done. "Sorry," she mumbled the apology, ducking her head and waiting for him to blow up. Instead, to her utter amazement, her uncle chuckled.

"I get that sometimes," he remarked, "but still, I have been thinking that perhaps I was a little hasty in sending you to that school. And now with the house being so quiet I would like you to come home." He finished in a rush because he wasn't sure just how to say it to make her understand how he felt.

Naruto jerked her head up to meet her uncle's dark brown eyes. Iruka registered the confusion on Naruto's face and blew out a breath. Had it really been that long since he had held this dear little girl in his arms when she woke screaming from a nightmare? That she didn't believe he was capable of other emotions that anger and frustration?

"I…I don't know what to say," she breathed.

"Let me make a few phone calls and see if I can get you transferred back to your old school, okay?" Iruka said.

"Alright." She grinned up at him then back at the board. "Checkmate!" she said as she moved her queen in directly in front of his king.

Iruka looked down and saw that he was indeed in checkmate. "Shit!"

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You know the drill! Leave a review! See you soon!


	8. Chapter 8

WOW!!! Looks like I'm going for a double shot today.

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"I'm sorry, Naruto," Iruka was saying over the phone. "The principal says that it's impossible for you to transfer in the middle of the semester; something about you being in different classes and the credits not transferring." Iruka sounded apologetic and contrite as he explained the details to Naruto. "He said that unless it was an emergency then he could see any reason for you to come back."

"I understand, Uncle, its okay really. I can stick it out her for another three months then school will be done." Naruto felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach but she put on a bright front for her uncle's benefit. "Have you heard from the police yet about that thing at school?"

"Yes, they called this morning, seems that they don't have enough evidence in order to find who ever did it. No finger prints and the cat was killed by a car and not actually mutilated so even then they wouldn't be able to charge anyone for animal cruelty," Iruka was irritated by this turn of events. "So basically they had dropped the case for now and put it in their books as a teenage prank."

Naruto nearly laughed at that, thinking about how ironic it was. "Amazing what a little money can do," she muttered darkly.

Iruka sighed out a frustrated breath while trying to calm himself so that he didn't pick up the phone and call the chief of police and tell him what a bunch of incompetent people he had working for him. He was more than a little bit worried for his niece and felt completely helpless to do anything about what had happened.

"Okay, you move back home and you can commute back and forth," he said as he tried to sketch out the detail in his mind.

"What?! I would have to get up at five in the morning to be to school on time. Nuh-huh, no way. I'm fine where I am I'll just…I'll be fine," Naruto stated emphatically, reluctant to loose anymore sleep that she already was.

It had been a rough week and it was only Wednesday. Not only was there school which started at eight in the morning but immediately after school she had to go and clean three houses. When she returned home, she spent time doing her homework which was taking her forever to do because the curriculum was a bit harder than she was used to, and then she had to spend time working on a computer program that she was developing for her Uncle's company, not that he knew about it. For the past three days she had gotten about four hours of sleep each night.

She rubbed her temple and bit back a groan at the dull ache that was centered there.

"Alright, alright, um, how about--"

"No, Uncle, no bodyguards or anything like that. If the police think that these are just harmless pranks then perhaps we should trust them and let it go for now. It's been five days and nothing else has happened, so they are probably right," Naruto winced again as she popped the top on an aspirin bottle and shook out three into her hand. She tipped them into her mouth and swallowed with out water grimacing at the bitterly sour taste they left behind. "It's getting late so I'm just going to go to bed. I'll talk to you on Friday, okay?"

"Okay. Naruto…I love you," Iruka stated hesitantly, unsure of the reaction he would get from Naruto.

"I love you too, Uncle." They hung up.

She looked at the clock on the wall and it was nearly eight. She moaned and shifted her Calculus book to the floor and lay back on her bed waiting for the aspirin to start taking effect.

She had just closed her eyes with her phone rung again, moaning she picked it back up and pushed the talk button.

"OMG! Like I have been trying to get a hold of you for the past half hour!!! What have you been doing?" an irritated hyper voice yelled out of the phone.

"Konohamaru?" she asked.

"Who else? Naruto I need you help, you just have to say yes because if you don't I am like going to die right here right now!!!!" He sounded nearly hysterical.

"What? What is it?!" Naruto began to worry and go over worse case scenarios in her head. Gang fight, or a car wreck, perhaps he was stuck down a well.

"We finally got out first gig and Moegi has stage fright and refuses to go on. I need you?!" he cried into the phone.

"What?!"

"I need you to fill in for Moegi until she gets over her stage fright!"

"Konohamaru, I can't just--" Naruto started only to be interrupted by Konohamaru.

"It's just for a few songs and if we don't do it then there is no way that we will be called ever again. We have to perform!"

Naruto knew that if she didn't agree then not only would she not get Konohamaru of the phone, then she would feel guilty about the group not being able to get another gig. Those that couldn't or wouldn't perform when called earned a reputation and were never called again.

"Where are you?" she asked as she capitulated.

"YES! We're at Club Suna!" she could hear the rest of the group shout in joy in the back ground. She smiled briefly as she gathered up her shoes and headed out the door.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes." She hung up the phone and dropped it in a newly bought potted plant and closed the door behind her.

Club Suna was a small club hidden in a bunch of abandoned warehouses and it was one of the most popular. She could see a line of people standing exteneding down the block toward the main doors as she approached. She didn't bother getting in line but just walked ahead to the guy manning the door.

"Hey, Konkuro," Naruto greeted.

"Naruto, I haven't seen you for a while," the man stood and opened the door for her. He was wearing a black hoodie with the hood up. His face was tanned and had purple lines tattooed on it giving him a frightening appearance.

The club was packed with people and she maneuvered her way up to the bar. "Temari," she address the woman working the bar. Her blond hair was pulled back and secured into four pony tails, two towards the top of her head and two towards her neck. She handed out another drink then pointed Naruto towards the back.

Naruto headed in the direction that she headed and found a door marked STAGE: STAFF and PLAYERS ONLY, she pushed it open and walked through. She sighed with relief when the door shut blocking out most of the noise. She could hear Konohamaru's loud obnoxious voice as he pleaded with some one so she followed it to a small room where the band was.

"Oi, Konohamaru," she nearly yelled to be heard over his. He swung around showing her a very pale Moegi who was seated on a couch holding a bucket.

"Oh thank you, thank you, Lord," he shouted as he leaped over to her and nearly knocked her down when he hugged her.

"Konohamaru, you can either take the stage now or you need to get the fuck out," yelled a voice from the direction of the bar.

"We're coming out now," Konohamaru yelled back. He turned to me, "Alright, Naruto, we will play some old songs until Moegi is feeling better; I was thinking that you could just play and I'll do the singing, maybe some Fallout Boys, or something."

"However you want to do this," Naruto said as she was handed a guitar and pick. She checked the instrument for sound and tuning before nodding that she was ready.

The trooped up to the stage area amidst shouts and clapping. Naruto had the hood of her jacket up to somewhat disguise her feature and hoped that no one would recognize her and she took the back of the stage out of direct spotlight range. She was feeling better now that Konohamaru had switched plans so that she didn't have to sing. It wasn't that she couldn't, but she had seen some of the kids from school on her way in and she didn't want them to see her.

The band launched into a fast, upbeat number called 'I Don't Care' by the fallout boys and she jammed along with them keeping her face averted. She had been involved in creating the band and finding them acceptable players a year ago.

Sasuke was standing in a dark corner with a group of his classmates when the band had finally taken the stage. He shook his head in irritation at the lateness and turned away to signal a passing waitress into getting him another drink. Turning back he noticed the guitar player that was trying to stay out of sight, it wasn't really the fact that she was avoiding the light but her movements reminded him of Naruto.

His usual smirk shimmered into a full grin for a brief minute before his usual stoic look took back over. She was pretty good as she kept up with the band and their old number. He brushed a hand that had been caressing his arm away and moved toward the stage.

Standing just a couple feet from her he waited for her to notice him. A couple more girls approached as he stood and asked him to dance with him. He shook his head but continued to watch Naruto. Finally she glanced in his direction and fumbled a bit which got her a concerned look from the drummer, before she continued with the song trying to ignore him.

"Hey, thanks for coming out to see us ya'll," the lead said at the end of the set. "We're sorry about the lateness, but we had to wait for a replacement since our usual lead is indisposed at the moment. But we're hoping that she feels better soon and in the mean time we'll play a few good oldies for ya." With that being said they launched into another song.

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"So, are you hiding from me?" Sasuke asked. He was striding through the small hallway into the back area where the band was resting.

Naruto looked at him in irritation. "No, I just didn't want to talk to you, so why don't you go back out to you fangirl club."

An ebony eyebrow lifted in amusement at her irritation. "Mm.'

"Hey, only the band and employees are allowed back here," Konohamaru spoke up. "Who are you?"

Sasuke studied the brat before dismissing him which annoyed Konohamaru. "Oi, Naruto, who is this piece of shit?"

"No one important," Naruto stated calmly looking Sasuke in the eye.

Temari entered the back, at that point. Her brow furrowed as she looked back and forth between Naruto and Sasuke. "Naruto, are you being harassed by this man?" she asked nervously. She knew who he was and didn't want to have to evict him from the premises but would if he was causing trouble. She could only imagine what would happen if she had to do that, Sasuke's brother certainly didn't play softball when family honor was on the line.

"No, he was just leaving," Naruto said firmly.

Sasuke tilted his head slightly as he studied the girl before acquiescing and turned to leave. He heard what was said next and paused just out of sight in the short hall.

"I am so glad you're back," Temari was saying.

"It's only for tonight," Naruto responded.

"Yeah, but I have a proposition for you."

"Really? What is it?"

"Well, I am willing to throw in a bonus of a thousand dollars to these people if you sing."

There was a gasp and a sudden rush of noise as everyone in the room began talking at once. All of them cajoling, trying to convince her to do it.

"You have to…"

"OMG, NARUTO!"

"Alright, alright, everyone. Shit! I'll do it!" He heard Naruto exclaim.

He smiled; this had certainly turned into an entertaining evening.

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Let's see how well you can follow directions. Leave a review, please!

See you in a few days when I update again.


	9. Chapter 9

As always I want to thank my loyal reviewers: **Panda, Tyrell, Itooshii, Firie, and Sky**. But there is more to come, I have a QUAD UPDATE COMING AND A MAJOR LEMON!!!! but i don't want to ruin it for you so PLEASE PUT YOUR TRAYS IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION and FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS!!!

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Naruto hesitated before mounting the stage. She looked out over the crowd and saw Sasuke standing at the bar conversing with Temari. He was alone which was virtually impossible, since everywhere he went he drew women to him like moths. He caught her looking and lifted his drink in acknowledgement even as he continued talking.

She took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage to be greeted by loud raucous cheering. Konkuro had left his position as door monitor and was now standing at the edge waiting for her. She had ditched the hoodie and borrowed a hairclip from Moegi so that she could keep the three feet of tangled blond nightmare out of her face while she sang.

Konkuro let out a piercing whistle that silenced the crowd, and then lifted the mic to his lips.

"OI, thanks for coming out tonight, we have a someone extremely special in the house tonight. I know that most of our regulars will recognize this most holy personage right next to me…" The crowd erupted and nearly lifted the roof from the building. "Hey," Konkuro shouted into the mic, "Hey, settle down…Now it took some doing but I have convinced her to sing for us…" The crowd screamed again. Konkuro passed Naruto the mic and took up a guitar.

Naruto waved at the crowd and smiled brightly. "Meh, Meh, Thank you for the greeting! It's been awhile since I have don't this and I apologize for the raggedness that you are about to hear. And as for convincing, Konkuro, you know I would do almost anything for you." Loud hooting filling the air. "Anything but that, no get your minds out of the gutter you fools." Konkuro grinned at her. "Now I'm going to start this party rolling and I hope that you dobes can keep up. 1, 2, 3,4!" The band slammed into a fast beat.

Sasuke's mouth dropped open as Naruto sang the opening bar of "Pocket full of Sunshine" and Temari leaned over and closed it for him, laughing.

"I take it that you haven't been hear when she sang last, nor have you heard her sing before," Temari when back to filling orders as she spoke. "We are normally packed but when she was singing here people would start lining up at noon so that they could make sure that they were inside when she came on." Temari chuckled at the thought. "She is not only a brilliant singer, she very smart too but she rarely lets anyone see that side of her, only those closest. If I remember right, this is the first time that Konkuro had played since she left to, so the crowd is getting a double whammy."

Sasuke took a stool that was just vacated and wondered about that statement. "Why did he quit playing when she left, were they lovers?"

"Oh hell no," Temari snorted. "He said that there wasn't anyone else who deserved his talents. And until she returned or he found someone worth then he wasn't going to play. It was unexpected that she showed up tonight to play for Konohamaru and we decided to give her an offer that she couldn't refuse."

"Yeah, I heard the offer as I was leaving."

Temari cocked her head at him. "What are you planning with Naruto?"

Sasuke glanced at her and shook his head. "I don't think that it's any of your business."

An eyebrow raised and her lips thinned at his cryptic response. "Naruto is a very special individual and there are a lot of people in this city that will come to her aid, defense, or war. I would think long and hard before making a move that could cause her harm."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Uchiha, I don't threaten," Temari said. "I am giving you a bit of friendly advice. I love Naruto like a little sister, and she is my little brother's friend. So if your intentions aren't good, then I strongly suggest that you move on and don't toy with her."

"Who's your little brother?" Sasuke asked wondering if he had met him.

"Gaara."

He had. An image of a muscular red head with a tattoo on his forehead came to mind. The kid looked dangerous, not the type you'd want to meet in a dark alley.

Temari moved down the bar and away from the Uchiha to take care of more customers.

Naruto sung for an hour before she yelled into the mic, "Moegi, get your butt out here. I need you help!"

A slender young girl with spiked pony-tails on the top of her head came up on the stage looking pale and shaky. Naruto put an arm around her, and whispered into her ear. The girl nodded then took another mic.

"Alright, this is the real lead for the band and you all had better be nice or I won't sing for you anymore," Naruto purred seductively to the audience. "'Kay!"

They launched into 'I Hate This Part' and Naruto started to belt it out with Moegi taking the second lead to it. Sasuke had to admit that the younger girl had a really good set of pipes and Konkuro must have agreed because he grinned over at Temari who gave him a thumb up. The two women complimented each other during the song and they finished to shouts of more.

"Thanks you guys, you've been awesome but now its time to let Moegi show her stuff. Bye!" Naruto took a brief bow and jumped off the stage. She glanced at Sasuke who had stood but made a bee line for Temari.

"Hey, Tem, I've got to beat it, make sure you give Konoha the money and we'll settle up later."

"Hai, Naruto, thanks lots, wish you were still here. It was always a blast when you sang!" Temari waved her hand absently.

Naruto pushed through the thick throng of dancers and exited the building ignoring Sasuke. She stuck her hand in her pocket to make sure that she still had her change for the bus and walked quickly back the way she had come sparing only a quick glance at the tall, shadowy figure that appeared on her right.

"I'll give you a lift home," Sasuke said taking her arm.

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself," Naruto snapped, and tried to get her arm back.

"I can almost believe that but as your guardian angel I feel that I must carry out my duty regardless of you capabilities."

"Fine, a ride home, but you're not coming up. I—I have school work that I need to complete before tomorrow."

Sasuke frowned at the quick capitulation, "You're not going to argue?"

"I figure that the less I argue then perhaps the less I'll interest you." Naruto hissed out.

Sasuke held the door open for Naruto then strode quickly to his side of the car. The engine growled smoothly as he maneuvered the coup into traffic.

"You're an excellent vocalist," Sasuke complimented trying to strike up a conversation.

"Thanks."

"Are you planning on becoming a professional singer?"

"No."

"What are you planning on doing after you get out of school?"

"None of you business."

"Grumpy much?"

Naruto swung around to face him. "Look, I am tired and, yes, grumpy. So…"

Sasuke grabbed the back of her head a pulled it to his giving her a rough kiss to shut her up. He released her just as abruptly. Naruto gapped at him the settled back into her seat panting like she had just run a marathon.

"I haven't seen you since Saturday night and I was surprised to see you here tonight," Sasuke said going back to concentrating on his driving. "I found out that you're a fantastic singer and I was threatened with bodily harm because I was showing you a little too much attention. But that kiss made everything worth it including your grouchiness."

Naruto shook her head confused she must really be more tired than she thought. The adrenaline rush that she had received from the crowd tonight was quickly fading and her body seemed to be going numb from exhaustion.

"Wait, you were threatened, by who?" she asked.

"Temari, she told me, well, she 'gave me some friendly advice' that if I didn't have good intentions towards you then I needed to move on."

"That doesn't sound like much of a threat." Naruto yawned and pushed a stray lock of hair out of her face looking out the passenger window at the colorful display of lights that the city of Konoha showed every night.

"Yeah, but it was delivered as a threat."

"Sasuke, what is one of your darkest secrets?" Naruto asked as she turned back to him

"One of my darkest secrets?" Sasuke's brow wrinkled at the question and he cast a quick look at Naruto.

"I shared my past with you, I think that it's only fair if you reciprocated."

"Hmm…this might take a while I have so many…I need to pick just the right one," he muttered as he seemed to think about it.

"Quit mocking me," Naruto said swatting at him. Sasuke snickered.

"Okay, um, my parents were killed with I was extremely young. I don't remember them. My brother, Itachi, and I were raised by my aunt and uncle who took over the family business until Itachi was out of college and able to run it. He does really it really well because the company keeps growing and growing. Now for my deepest darkest secret, I took the keys to my brothers Hemi and hid them at the bottom of the fountain in our back yard."

"That isn't much of a deep dark secret," Naruto groused and sat back, her arms crossed across her chest, which lifted them and drew Sasuke's eyes.

He groaned.

"What? What's wrong?" Naruto asked when she heard the sound.

"Nothing and it is too a deep dark secret, because he has replaced the keys six times and I have stolen each set. I refuse to give them back until he apologizes."

"Apologizes for what?"

"For not taking me to the zoo like he promised when I was six."

Naruto's cerulean eyes whipped around her and she couldn't help herself. She started laughing.

"Surely, he knows that it was you?" She said once she had regained her composure.

"Yes, but he refuses to apologize and it has become a matter of honor now."

"Hmm…Nope."

"Nope?" Sasuke queried with a raised eyebrow.

"Not good enough. And now you don't have time because there's my apartment." She pointed out the window and, sure enough, they were approaching her apartment building.

Sasuke pulled the car around so that he was parked right in front of her stairs.

"Thanks for the ride," Naruto said in farewell opening the door of the coup.

Sasuke caught her had before she could exit the car. "It's only eleven thirty, we could still talk some more."

"Sorry, but like I said, I still have school work that I need to get done." She pulled away and was gone before he could say anymore. He watched to make sure she got to her apartment safely, then pulling out as soon as her door was closed.

He reached his home ten minutes later. He parked the coup in the garage and made his way into the house, though one really couldn't call the thirty-bedroom building a house. It was the family home for the Uchiha clan and only his brother and he occupied it now.

He loped up a flight of stairs and made his way down the east wing to room at the end of the long hall. It was on the opposite side of the house than Itachi's and he preferred it that way. He didn't dislike his brother, in fact, he loved him very much. It's just that he like his space and this situation gave him plenty.

He opened the door to his room and went into the dark room. He didn't turn the light on just passed straight through until he reached the outer balcony and sank into a lounge chair to look up at the stars.

The stars reminded him of the lights in Naruto's eyes. He smirked at the poetic thought that popped into his mind. When she was happy or mischievous, her eyes sparkled with inner lights that gleamed just like stars in the deep blue depths.

He had to admit, everything he learned about her just kept adding to the puzzle. She could annoy the hell out of him, making him angry (not that he would every show that emotion or any emotion stronger than mild annoyance or amusement), then shock or a strong need to roll with laughter.

He closed his eyes and remembered what he had done to her Saturday. She had been warm and soft in his arms and very responsive as he had made her cum. He could still taste the sweetness that he had licked off his fingers and it made him want to fully taste her. He wanted to make her scream in orgasm as he made love to her.

He frowned and opened his eyes. _Where had that thought come from? I don't make love._ Other words filtered into his mine, rude and debasing: ride, fuck, mount. As each word popped into his mind, he instantly discarded it because the just felt wrong. He shook the feeling off and got up from the lounge. _It's just the stars that are causing these thoughts._ He pulled off his shirt, kicked off his trousers, and shucked his boxers crawling into bed naked. He stretched out and fell into the oblivion of dreams.

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ALL reviews welcome but hurry to the next chapter!!!!

Thanks again, ZEN


	10. Chapter 10

Since this is a QUAD UPDATE, I don't have any review yet but if you did review on the last chapter THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! Now on with the story

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"You fucking, bitch!" The muffled shriek came from the girls bathroom.

"Heheheh," A huge boy said. His thick gut sticking out and his hair was shaven into three strips on his head. "Wanda has some little blond cornered in the bathroom.

"Little blond? Does she have really long hair and deep blue eyes?" Sasuke asked the guy.

"Yeah," he snickered before waddling back down the hall.

"Shit," Sasuke muttered as he opened the door. What he expected wasn't the scene in the restroom.

Naruto was bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet, jaw clenched in anger and she watched the brunette that was holding her stomach on the floor. Two other girls were cowering in the corner holding paper towels to their faces. From the red streaks that marred their hands, Naruto must have broken their noses.

Wanda glared daggers up at Naruto through thick rimed glasses and slowly picked herself up of the floor.

Books and papers were scattered haphazardly around the area looking like they had been dropkicked.

Before Sasuke could intervene, Wanda charged across the room at Naruto. The little blond waited until Wanda was just a couple feet from her before she whipped around bringing her foot up to smash against the brunette's temple. Wanda flew backward and landed in a heap on the floor, out cold.

Sasuke took a step towards Naruto only to step back as she jerked around hands up in defensive stance. His eyes widened as he got a look at her. Her hair was a tangled mess hanging down her back. There was some slight swelling near her left eye telling him that it was going to be very purple tomorrow. Her bottom lip was split and selling and a trickle of blood was running from her nose. The sleeve of her light blue T was torn at the shoulder seem and he could see scratched running up and down her arms.

"Whoa, whoa, Naruto," Sasuke said soothingly as he held up his hand incase she swung at him.

"Sasuke!" one of the girls across the bathroom cried. "That girl's a demon, she attacked us."

Sasuke threw a quick glare that made the one who had spoken to try and hid behind her companion.

"There are witnesses that say you and Wanda cornered Naruto intended to do physical injury to her," he bit out as a rush of fury spike in him. He turned back to Naruto who had dropped her hands and was now holding a palm to her side.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a gesture to her side and encompassing her whole self.

"Wanda, was it? She got in a lucky punch," Naruto muttered with a low growl still feeling the surge of adrenaline and anger.

Sasuke moved to the door, "Hey, you!" He addressed a passerby. "Go get principal Tsunade." The kid sprinted down the hall in the direction of the office. He went back inside and moved to Wanda who was still lying of the floor. He quickly checked her over and found that she was going to live then he looked at Wanda's two puppets. "You okay?" he sneered at them.

They nodded back but said nothing.

He heard Naruto cough and quickly went to her. She was leaning weakly against one of the sinks. There was a trace of blood in the corner of her mouth. He grabbed her before she could tumble to the floor. "You're not alright." He helped her to sit on the cold tiles.

Tsunade stormed into the bathroom, "What's this about a fight?" she demanded surveying the scene around her.

"That monst…" the girl tried again to place the blame on Naruto now that Tsunade was here.

"Save it," Tsunade barked, "I am well aware of what happened and was on my way here."

She walked over to the unconscious Wanda and performed the same check that Sasuke

had just a minute ago. She glanced at the two across the bathroom then turned her attention to Naruto. She gently probed she side watching as Naruto flinched. Lifting her chin and studying the bruises and scrapes, she spoke. "There is some internal bruising and what not but you'll be fine if you go home and rest." She straightened and looked at the two other alert girls.

"You two are suspended along with Wanda for a week. You will go to my office and wait for me. I'm going to call your parents." The girls ran for the door grateful to get away from the murderous looks Sasuke was sending them. Tsunade gathered up the sleeping Wanda and swung her over her shoulder. "Sasuke, see Naruto home and make sure she call's her uncle and explains what happened."

Sasuke nodded and watched Tsunade stalk out of the bathroom. He quickly gathered up Naruto's things and helped her to stand. As they left the bathroom, there were students loitering about the hallway wanting to get the first hand scoop on what went down. There was a stunned moment of silence as the saw the tiny little blond angel that had just taken on Wanda the Witch and not only survived but had won. A loud cheer went up throughout the hallway.

"What the…?" Naruto asked looking about her in bewilderment.

"Wanda has a reputation of breaking the bones of people who cross her whether they have or not." Sasuke said as he helped her walk down the hall, one arm around her waist making sure she didn't fall flat on her face.

Naruto winced, "I haven't seen her before she pulled me into the bathroom and started hitting me and I wasn't about to stand there and imitate a punching bag."

"Good," Sasuke agreed. "Where did you learn to fight?"

"When I was twelve, I begged my uncle to let my take some martial arts classes. I learned a lot before I decided that I wanted to be an artist and talked Iruka into those classes."

"When did you learn to sing and play the guitar?" He asked as they exited the school.

"I've always loved music and one of the staff had a guitar, he taught me some basics and the rest I figured out on my own. I saved my allowance and bought my guitar when I was thirteen. I've never taken a singing lesson though."

"Hmm...If you're that good without a lesson just think of how much better you could be with them," Sasuke said.

"I have enough on my plate right now without adding singing lessons to it. I'm a full time student, I work everyday after school and every other weekend, and I have to…." She broke off that statement quickly and changed the subject. "What about you, do you play anything?"

"Golf, in the summer; various video games, and rocks-paper-scissors with my brother when we are trying to decide where to eat out at," Sasuke dead panned.

Naruto snickered then flinched as her side ached. "Please don't make me laugh, it hurts.'

"Sorry, I will try to curb the humor at least until you're better."

They made it to her apartment almost an hour after leaving the school. She handed him the key when he held out his hand. He opened the door and helped her across the threshold. He stopped when he saw a leather sofa sitting in the middle of the room with a soft chenille blanket draped over a back corner.

"Thanks," Naruto said as she moved painfully to it and gingerly sat down.

Where did that come from?" he asked as he resurveyed the apartment which now held some nicer amenities like a TV/DVD combo and a cherry wood coffee table.

"My uncle tried to get me transferred back to my old school after what happened, but couldn't so he felt guilty when I said I would just stay here." Naruto stretched out on her side before jerking to an upright position again, which was a very bad idea because of the shards of pain that ripped through her side. "Fuck," she hissed holding her side.

"Why did you do that for?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I've got to call Shizune and let her know what happened, and my uncle."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and sauntered over to the phone. He brought it back and handed it to Naruto with a muttered, "Should've asked before pulling a stunt like that."

Naruto ignored him and called her boss. After explaining briefly to her that she would be able to work tonight, Naruto called her uncle.

"Naruto, what's wrong, your home early?" Iruka asked worry evident in his voice.

"I'm fine, I just got into a fight at school today," Naruto said calmly, like it was an everyday event.

"Are you hurt, do you need to see a doctor?"

"No, but I wouldn't be surprised if the girl I kicked needed to see one." Naruto tenderly probed her side.

"Good…I mean…" Iruka hurried to cover up his satisfaction but couldn't think of anything so he trailed off.

Naruto snorted before cutting it off, quickly because her side hurt too much.

"Did you start it?"

"No, but I finished it."

"Mm." Naruto could tell that her uncle was trying to not make another comment like he had earlier. "What happened to being careful and where was Principal Tsunade?"

"I was being careful; the chick grabbed me and pulled me into the bathroom where she and two of her cronies jumped me. Tsunade was on her way to stop the fight but I took care of it before she got there."

Iruka sighed heavily into the phone. "Maybe I can convince your old principal after this latest round that it's an emergency and you need to get away from that school."

"Uncle, I don't think so, it was just a random student fight there isn't a connection…" Naruto trailed off as a thought occurred to her. "Uncle, I'm just going to stay at home tonight and rest. I'll be fine."

"If you're sure."

"I am. I'll come by next weekend and we can have another rematch at chess."

"Ah, Naruto, about that…I have to go out of town and won't be back until Tuesday…" Her uncle sounded regretful.

"Oh," Naruto was used to her uncle having to go out of town, but this time was a little different. She felt hurt that she wouldn't be able to spend time with him. She pushed the feeling away and concentrated on covering it up. "That's too bad," she said brightly, "I was looking forward to beating you again. I guess that I'll have to hang out with Kiba and Neji again."

She expected her uncle to protest but when he agreed she was flabbergasted. But being the intelligent person that she was she didn't look a gift horse in the mouth. She said her farewells and pressed the off button.

She looked as Sasuke who had taken a seat on the opposite side of the sofa. The TV remote in his hand and he was watching the movie that she had left in the DVD last night. He was gazing at her intently, make her a little nervous but she was getting used to the intense looks.

"You wanted to visit with your uncle next week, didn't you?" he asked, but it was more of a statement. "Why didn't you let him know that?"

"I wouldn't have changed a thing. He still would have to go and I didn't want him to feel bad about it." Naruto's eyes were drooping. She always seemed to want to sleep around Sasuke, well, whenever she didn't feel like jumping his bones. She wondered at it so asked, "Why do I feel like I can sleep when you're around?"

Sasuke's face show surprise before controlled his expression and it returned to the stoic regard he usually wore. "Hmm…maybe you feel safe when you're around me, like you can drop your guard."

"Hmm." She turned and lay down across the couch putting her head in his lap. "If I fall asleep, then wake me in a couple of hours. I have a few things that I need to get done and today would be a perfect opportunity since I don't have to work." Ten seconds latter she was sound asleep.

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Okay, Okay you can review now, And if you read it and don't review, may you feel guilty for not encouraging your favorite Author!

Sasuke is soo sweet but....

Hurry up and read the next chapter already!!!!

ZEN


	11. Chapter 11

A few of you expressed that since Naruto sang she didn't need the maid gig (yes, Tryell I'm talking about you) but the thing is is that well I can't give away too many secret, sufice it to say that Naruto doesn't want to sing for her supper she has other plans...

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Sasuke watched Naruto as she slept. There was something extremely intimate about watching someone at their most vulnerable. It also amazed him at how trusting she was. With her eyes closed thick golden lashes feathered across her gently rounded check bones. Her lush mouth was parted slightly almost as if waiting for a noble prince to kiss her.

He snorted at that thought. She might be waiting for a noble prince but what she was going to end up with was a cynical man. There was nothing princely about him or noble for that matter. He had no illusions about his selfishness or his arrogance.

He reached down lifted a lock of hair playing with it. It amazed him that it was so long and soft. Most girls he knew preferred a more sophisticated style that was easily taken care of. Naruto's hair was a wild tangled fall of silk, he thought that it reflected the owner very well. Naruto was a untapped keg waiting to explode, he could only imagine what she had been like as a child. He bet that she kept her uncle on his toes along with anyone else who was near her.

He continued to watch her until his own eye grew heavy and he drifted off to sleep.

Naruto came to alertness slowly aware of a comforting heat under her head. She turned her head and rubbed her face against the warmth feeling how hard it was. She brushed her hand up and around it.

"Careful, or your going to grab something was might embarrass you," a deep, sleepy voice murmured.

Naruto blinked her eyes open and lifted her head to peer up at Sasuke then realized where her hand was and snatched it back. Sasuke chuckled and brushed a hand against her hair.

"I was hoping that you would move it an inch higher and take advantage of me," he said.

Naruto's flamed a bright red as she sat up and moved away from Sasuke.

"Uh….I—I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking," she stuttered then looked around her apartment noticing how dark it was. "How long…?"

"Well, I brought you home around eleven the afternoon and it's nearly nine…"

"SHIT!" Naruto jumped up and froze as the pain and memory of this morning's activities arose in her brain. She bit off a moan and took a steadying breath waiting for the ache to subside. "Shit, I needed to work on…" She trailed off and clenched her jaw, and kicked herself. She needed to watch her words better

"Work on…?" Sasuke prodded as he stood and stretched working out stiff muscles and shaking feeling back into the leg that had pillowed Naruto's head.

"I have to work on a report for Kakashi-sensei which is due Monday," she quickly improvised then began flipping on lights. "Um, I…"

"Okay, how about if I take off and let you get to work on it," Sasuke said. He could see that she was trying to find a way to tell him to beat it. He didn't believe the excuse that she had made up off the top of her head but he wasn't in a position to push into her personal life, yet. Yet—because he was planning of being in that spot very soon but if he pushed right now she was going to bolt.

"Oh, uh, okay," she murmured. "I'm sorry for not being better company. I—I…"

"It fine, truth be told I fell asleep to so your in good company," Sasuke paused by the door and studied the harried Naruto. He titled his head and smiled at her fully. "Come here for a sec."

Naruto blinked but walked over until she was standing in from of him. She peered at him curiously and waited for him to talk.

Sasuke reached out and slipped a hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her to him. He settled his lips gently against hers and coaxed them softly open. When they parted he took the kiss from soft and sweet to hard and ravaging. He tilted her head so that he had better access to her and stepped in closer pulling her fully against him so that she rode his thigh. He fisted his hand in his hair and the other locked around the small of her back to keep her still.

He licked and dueled with her tongue letting the heat of her fill him up. She made breathless little moans which nearly pushed him over the edge. Her hands moved over his back and gripped his shirt tightly, and her hips began to move against him grinding against the hardness of his thigh, whimpering.

Sasuke took control and pushed her away. He was breathing raggedly and holding her up until she came back to awareness. Her eyes fluttered open and he could see tiny embers glowing in the depths of those blue orbs. He vowed to himself that soon he was going to set them on fire the next time he got a hold of her.

"Don't lie to me next time, Naruto," Sasuke warned in a deep growl, "I don't take them well." He released her and left, shutting the door with a hard click.

Naruto stared at the door for a long time before he huffed out the breath that she had been holding. She wasn't really sure if she should feel guilty for having lied to him, sad because he hadn't ravaged her, relief because he hadn't, or frustration because she wanted him to. _Shit!_

She turned away from the closed portal and went to the table. She turned on her laptop. While she was waiting for it to warm up and run through the protocol, she went to her room and pulled out the docking station for her mp3 player and turned it on. A Godsmack song immediately started thumping through the speakers and she turned it up.

Back at the table she logged into her files and pulled up the program that she had been working of for her uncle company. It was a high priority, nearly top secret program that was due next Friday. She felt a flood of guilt at the fact that her uncle had no idea that she was working for him in the research and development department. She had been since last year when the head of the department had found her hacking into the companies database and pulling up some of the programs that they had been working on.

Naruto smiled at the thought of the tall, thin man who had raised an eyebrow at the blond girl who hadn't been concerned with the fact that she'd been committing a felony but who was pissed that she'd been caught. He had studied her for a few minutes before asking her how she'd gotten through the security. When she showed him that she had used a simple algorithm he'd pulled up a chair and they ran through several of the programs she'd pulled up. She'd helped him to modify the programs so that they ran more efficiently, she'd also shown him short cut to the programs because they had random and meaningless lines in the commands.

After that he'd black mailed Naruto into working for him with the promise that for the next five years she would help them in developing better, faster, less complicated programs and he wouldn't reveal to her uncle that she'd hacked the database. Naruto was smart enough to know that her uncle probably wouldn't be mad at Naruto because she had hacked the mainframe, he would be more upset that it had been done in the first place regardless of who had done it. So she wasn't afraid for herself but more for the true employees, and it was that fact that kept her quiet.

Her first priority when she started had been to develop a security program that randomly changed its fields so that it was nearly impossible to hack. Over the next year she had found that she really enjoyed the challenge in working and creating the programs that her uncle would distribute throughout the world. She had decided that she wanted to gear a career which would not only help Uncle Iruka but would keep her close to her one and only family member.

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CRACK!

Naruto bolted upright in her seat as Kakashi slammed his book down on her desk. She looked up into his eye with a dazed expression. She blinked taking in the eye patch he wore across one eye, a few scars slipping out from under and inched down his cheek. His hair was standing up in frustration spikes and he wore his normal white hospital mask across the lower half of his face.

_One would think he was a germ-a-phobic, which is weird considering that he works in a school where all sorts of germs dwell._

Kakashi was looking down at Naruto with an expression that told her that he thought she was little better that a bug, which was hard to do with half his face covered.

"Naruto, you will be staying after class," he intoned in the dreaded 'I have to lecture you' voice before he moved back to the front of the class. He picked up a stack of papers and proceeded to hand them back to the students. When he returned to her desk setting last weeks assignment down, she glanced at the big red C- on the top.

The bell rang but Naruto remained seated as all the other student quickly gathered up their things and left for the day. Naruto normally would have been the first out the door and grimaced because she really needed to get moving. She had to clean two houses tonight before going home and working on her school work among other things.

Kakashi stood before her and cleared his throat to gain her attention. He studied her with a bland expression then picked up her returned assignment.

"Naruto, if you would just apply yourself to your school work you would be able to get excellent marks, however every assignment is turned in with shoddy work and little effort." He set the paper back down and crossed his arms across his chest as he leaned back on the desk behind him. "I have it on good authority that you haven't always been this lazy about doing school work, your teachers from you last school say that as a freshman you excelled in all your classes but when you became a sophomore your work suffered and your grade did to."

"Mm.' Naruto fiddled with the edge of her school book not looking at him just waiting for him to run out of breath.

"Well, I don't have any other choice. Since we are studying plays this semester, for extra credit to bring up you grade a little I am assigning you to the school drama department, you will report to Mrs. Hallowitz during your study class and she will tell you what to do."

Nartuo's head wanted to explode. "Mr. Hatake, I can't be in the play. I—I already have to work for Tsunade's niece and then I have school work to do, where…how…" She trailed off as Kakashi glared at her.

"You will work it out between you and Mrs. Hallowitz. She will give me daily reports on your duties and performance. I think, that this will jumpstart you into doing better work." He turned away and dismissed her with a wave of his hands.

Naruto shot a murderous look at the man's back before shoving her books and papers into her bag and left the class room.

Naruto barely made it to her first house and spent the next four hours working her frustrations out on cleaning the place. The old lady was not at home but then she never was. Naruto washed dishes then scrubbed the counters, she folded the single load of laundry she had done, then vacuumed and dusted every surface. Once the house was spotless she ran to her next house cleaning it just as thoroughly. She called Shizune and reported that the houses were finished and caught the bus home.

She worked through the school work only doing what needed to be done to pass, just like Kakashi said she didn't put for her full effort, but she had learned that as long as she received a passing grade then her uncle didn't care what she got so she put her efforts into other things such as the program she was developing.

Oh she knew that her life would probable be much easier to deal with if everyone knew about the things that she did but she had made a vow and she wasn't about to go back on her words. She pulled up the program on her lap top and began working through the commands and executions. These next two days were critical since the deadline for the program was this Saturday.

She took a break after three hours, she laid her head on her arm thinking that she would only rest for a minute.

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I hope that it explained some things and wasn't too confusing let me know if it was, OKAY?!

LOVE YOU ALL

ZEN


	12. Chapter 12

Sasuke waited for Naruto to show up for nearly two hours and when he finally accepted that she wasn't going to come, he went to Tsunade's office. She was getting ready to leave and her secretary was already gone, much to Sasuke's relief.

"Principal Tsunade?"

"Oh, sorry Sasuke, I thought you had already left."

"I would have except that Naruto hasn't reported to me for counseling as arranged."

"Oh, really? Hmm, she wasn't in class today either, and Kakashi has given her an extra credit assignment that she was supposed to report to and didn't. I wonder if she's ill, would you mind going by her apartment and to check on her?" Tsunade requested.

"Fine, I will," Sasuke turned to leave.

"Call me when you do? " Tsunade said to his departing back.

Sasuke quickly made his way across the grounds and to Naruto's apartment. He knock once but received no answer. He looked at the window and saw that the curtains were drawn and he wouldn't be able to see inside. He tried the handle and the door swung open easily. He stepped over the threshold and stopped just inside the door.

Naruto was at the table with her head resting on a potholder. The laptop was open and the screen saver had kicked in scrolling a marquee across the screen that said, 'I'm cute but if you cross me I will turn into a demon and eat you.'

He strode the length of the room and found her fast asleep. He touched her cheek to see if she had a fever, she didn't but she didn't stir either. Concerned he shook her. She muttered darkly about kicking his ass then fell back into her dreamland. He shook his head and stooped to pick her up into his arms.

Naruto snuggled against his chest and tucked her head under his chin. He smiled as he carried her into her bedroom and laid her on the bed. He covered her with a bright blue quilt that had orange flowers across it. There was a dresser in the corner that held a couple of pictures, one was her uncle Iruka and the other was of her, Neji, and Kiba laughing at the camera. There were a few clothes scattered around and several posters were taped to the wall depicting her favorite bands and a couple of kittens. There was more life in this room that thoughout the entire apartment.

He stood over her and watched her as she slept. He reached out, brushed the hair from her face, and felt the silkiness of her skin. She nuzzled the palm of his hand before settling deeper into sleep with a sigh.

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**WARNING—LEMON AHEAD---ADULTS ONLY!!!**

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He traced her lips with a finger then leaned down to brush his lips over hers, she smiled in her sleep at the warm of the touch. Unable to help himself he reached for the hem of her t-shirt that had ridden up slightly. He pulled it higher hesitating as he exposed her breasts. He watched as she shifted but didn't awaken. She must have been exhausted to not be disturbed by his actions.

Her nipples had puckered as the material brushed over them, creating pouting peak that were begging for him. He leaned over and carefully took the pebble into his mouth and sucked at it. He lashed it with his tongue and heard her moan. He glanced at her from the side of his eyes continuing. He braced one hand on the mattress and moved the other to the snap on her jeans. He carefully undid the button and zipper then started to push the pants down her legs.

Her body shifted and turned as he pulled at the little nipple helping him as he pushed the pants off. He shifted to kneel between her legs; he let the peak go and lifted her legs splaying them wide so that he had access to her nether regions. He gentle touched the folds separating them to expose her clit. He lowered his head once more and licked at the nub.

He heard her breathy moan as it shuddered through her lips but she still didn't wake up.

He licked and sucked at her drawing her juices from the slit. He pressed a couple of fingers into her and drew out more of the lubrication which he spread to her lower hole. He began rocking his fingers at the puckered opening until he could press one into the tight ring of muscle.

Naruto whimpered at the foreign feeling. Sasuke stopped pushing his finger into her anus but continued to suckle at her most sensitive point. She relaxed back into a deeper sleep allowing Sasuke to fully seat his digit into her. He guided the appendage into a smooth but slow rhythm in and out. He tongued her clit as he began to press another finger into her. She shifted and then rocked her hips in time to his ministrations.

Hearing her whimpers turn into little purring cries he picked up the pace of his fingers. She began to writhe on the bed needing a release that he was keeping from her. He fingered her anally opening her up. The walls of the rear passage clamped around his fingers as she orgasmed and her back arched pressing the fingers deeper inside.

He smiled and licked her one last time, allowing her to rest peacefully. He slipped his fingers from her ass and tucked the sheets and quilt around her before standing. He washed his hand in the bathroom then check on her one last time.

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**OKAY YOU CAN OPEN YOUR EYES NOW!!! :)**

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He went back out to the table thinking that he would shut the computer down. When he touched the mouse pad, the scrolling flashed to a white screen filled with script. He leaned in closer to get a better look at it. What he saw filled him with shock and a feeling of dread. Naruto was working on a computer program, a complicated program that would put whoever had this in the top spot.

He stood there for several minutes before make an executive decision he found a blank disc in the stack next to the computer and slipped it into the drive. He pressed a couple of buttons and downloaded the program onto it. He then ghosted through the program deleting it. He shut down the computer and left.

He flipped open his cell called Tsunade to tell her that Naruto was indeed sick. Tsunade said that she would call her niece and let her know that Naruto wasn't going to be able to do the houses and to assign someone else to do them then hung up. He snapped the phone shut, he walked the block back to his car. He tucked the disk safely into his pocket and drove home without looking back.

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The ringing of the phone broke through her slumber and Naruto stumbled out of bed barely catching herself before she did a face plant over a pair of jeans. She found the phone under a stack of papers on the table and pressed the talk button.

"'llo"

"NARUTO! Oh my god, where have you been?" Sarutobi asked gruffly panic edging his voice.

"Um, right here?" she answered confused. "Is everything alrigh…."

"No, everything had just gone to hell in a handbasket. Uchiha Industries has just announced that they have developed a new program. Can you guess what that program is?" He calmly stated.

"Uh, no, it's a little too early for me to think right now?"

"This isn't some game, Itachi Uchiha announced that this program is the same program that you have been working on for the last 6 months."

Naruto blinked as what he was saying was finally breaking the cobwebs up. "Are you sure it's our program?"

"No, but from his description, it's the same one. Security protocols that use random algorithms that mutate and adapt? Sound familiar?"

Naruto's eyes widened. _WTF?_

She ran for her laptop, she turned it on, puzzled at how it was shutdown in the first place. Impatiently she went searching for the program and paled with every second as she realized that it wasn't there. She swallowed hard and started trembling.

"It's gone," she breathed into the phone, "It's gone." She hung up and collapsed onto the floor tears flooding her eyes. It must have been him, Sasuke. She remembered him being at her apartment, just a flash of memory being carried to her bed. There was even a dream of Sasuke touching her, kissing her, and making love to her.

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	13. Chapter 13

OI! I would like to again thank all my reviewers, spread the word that you love this story!! **Itooshii**—okay just breath, in, out, in, out! WAIT DON"T FAINT NOT YET! **Tyrell**—not yet. **Red-cresent-moon**—new chap. enjoy! **Edelta88**—Iruka wouldn't let that happen. **Ranma-sama**—you don't have to wait too long (at least not yet). **Firie—**yep I agree totally, Sasuke's a bastard, but he's still cute O.o

NEW CHAPTER BEGINS……………………………………………………NOW!

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Sasuke stood scowling at the students that were filing out of Kakashi's classroom excited that Monday was finally over. He was waiting for the flyaway bright blond hair to appear. He needed, no, he had to talk to her, explain…something… When the last student passed him seeing the look and hurrying out of the guys range, Sasuke straightened and went in.

"Sasuke, what do I owe this esteemed visit to?" Kakashi said as he worked around the desk and chairs, putting order back into the room.

"I was looking for Naruto, have you seen her?" Sasuke replied.

"No, she wasn't in school today. Mm…maybe you should go see Tsunade, she could probably help you more," Kakashi said with a smile that made his eyes look like upside down 'U's.

Sasuke nodded at him, turning to leave. He made it through the nearly empty hallways and to Tsunade's office, where her overly friendly secretary greeted him with a seductive smile.

"Ah, Sasuke, thanks for stopping in. I needed to talk to you for a minute. It seems like Iruka Umino has pulled Naruto out of school, so I guess that means that you're free from counseling." Tsunade said as soon as he stepped through the door.

"What? Nar…I don't understand. Why would he pull Naruto out of school?" Sasuke asked as a sliver of panic pierced him.

"Which part don't you understand," she said sarcastically. "I don't know why he pulled her out. He made up some excuses, feeding me a bunch of BS about how the school wasn't safe for her and everything. But the point is, is that she's no longer a student here and you aren't her counselor." She turned away in dismissal.

Sasuke stood staring at her for a couple minutes more trying to comprehend what she had said before he left her office.

He drove to her apartment thinking that he could catch her there but as he stood knocking on the door the land lady showed up.

"There isn't anyone there any more," the curler hooded woman said. "A bunch of people showed up yesterday and cleaned the place out taking everything including the trash. But if you're looking for a place it's ready to move in. They did such a thorough job that I don't need to fork out the extra expense of cleaning it myself."

"Um, no, I…I just knew the person that lived here and didn't remember that she said she was moving. Sorry to bother you."

Sasuke sat in his car in the parking lot feeling numb. He couldn't remember a time when he had felt like this. It was as if his soul was dying, fading into the ether that people like to refer to as limbo.

He felt a stabbing pain in his gut that doubled him over. He laid his head on the steering wheel and clutched at his belly trying to contain the pain. He closed his eyes and the image of Naruto swam into his mind: laughing at some thing he had said, on stage singing, her face filled with pleasure as he brought her to ecstasy, and the last, sleeping peacefully, trusting him.

He started the car again. He drove in complete silence to Iruka Umino's estate. He pulled into the driveway before the gate where he pressed the call button. A security official immediately answered.

"Sasuke Uchiha to see Naruto Uzumaki," Sasuke told them.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Uchiha, there isn't anyone in residence at this time," the guard reported. There wasn't a bit of apology in the man's voice.

"When will they be back?"

"I'm sorry, but they are to be out indefinitely."

"Where did they go?"

"I'm sorry, but the information is personal and we are not allowed to give out personal information."

"Would I be able to purchase the information?"

"No, sir. My job pays extremely well and I would hate to loose it for a bribe." The guard's voice turned very cold. "Good day, sir."

Sasuke drove around the city for a long while before he made one last effort and went to Club Suna.

He approached the entry to see Konkuro back on duty. When he saw Sasuke approach he stood, folded his arms across his chest, and frowned darkly at the Uchiha.

"What are you doing here, Uchiha?" Konkuro growled.

"I came to see if Naruto was here or her friends." Sasuke looked at the man coldly.

"That is none of your concern, but I will give you credit. You must have some huge ass balls coming here and asking for her." The growl turned into something a little more dangerous and deadly. "From what little I've heard, I want to tear your dick off and feed it to you piece by piece."

"Give her a message for me. Tell her that I need to talk to her and she can call me, anytime." Sasuke said.

"I'll do that. Not. Get lost Uchiha, you aren't welcome and be glad that I don't just take you out here and now."

Sasuke left.

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"Are you sure, doctor?" Sasuke asked the man before him. The man had dark circles under sunken eyes. He was pale and looked like he was about to fall over. He had to be nearing a hundred and looked every inch his age but he had always been the Uchiha family physician for as long as Sasuke could remember.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," the man said as he took of his glasses and cleaned them. He slipped the frames back into place and tucked some papers into Sasuke's hands. "You should get these filled as soon as possible."

Sasuke glanced down at the notes, a tightness in his chest.

_Just what Itachi needed more pills_.

He stuffed them into his pockets and saw the man out. He stood in the doorway watching as the last person who could possibly give him any hope faded into the night.

Two years ago, right after Sasuke had graduated, his brother had been diagnosed with ALS, usually referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease; a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord causing them to die slowly. After Itachi had fallen while walking to a meeting, Sasuke had driven him to the doctor. He remembered clearly pacing the waiting room as he waited for his brother. The doctor hadn't been able to find the reason and had Itachi sent to the hospital to run some tests. The doctor's had found the disease.

Puzzled, with the diagnosis, because the disease usually shows up in people who are between 30 to 50 years of age, Sasuke had taken Itachi to specialist after specialist who confirmed that Itachi really did have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Now the doctor had pronounced that Itachi had less than six months.

Sasuke closed the door leaned his head against it fighting against the useless tears. A fight which he lost as he collapsed to he knees, his head resting on the floor. He fisted his hand and smacked it against the white marble.

"God, Oh God, please," Sasuke pleaded in a prayer that hadn't been answered. He knew that he deserved everything that had happened in the last two years. It was his punishment for betraying someone who was precious to him. He knew it and still he prayed.

Composing himself, Sasuke washed the tears from his face and pressed a cold cloth to reduce the swelling and redness. He wasn't about to let Itachi see him in this state. His brother had more that enough to worry about than his over emotional brother.

"Sasuke," Itachi's weak voice whispered through the room as Sasuke returned. "So when is the doctor going to let me play Kendo with you?" Itachi smiled at his brother and held out a hand, a spasm jerking it around until Sasuke was able to grasp it and hold it in check.

"He said that next week he'll schedule a tournament, even though he doesn't think that anyone with have a chance against you." Sasuke sat down in the seat next to the bed.

"True, true," Itachi sighed. His eyes closed as the last of his strength faded. Sasuke sat counting the breaths, reach rise and fall of his brother's chest and again released his useless prayer.

"I'm sorry, Itachi whispered faintly.

"What?"

"I'm sorry; I somehow convinced you that the company was more precious, more important than anything. And it has made you unhappy. I never did ask you how you came by that security program. It was a brilliant creation, but since then you haven't been yourself. I didn't want you to be…I…" A tremor shook Itachi's frame and it was several minutes before he could speak again. "I tried to be a parent to you as well as a big brother and somewhere, somehow I fail."

"No, no, Itachi, you are the best brother I could have. You didn't fail, don't ever say that you failed," Sasuke adamantly insisted, though quietly.

Itachi's lips twisted into a small smile. "Tell me about what happened."

For the next few hours Sasuke talked about Naruto, talked about what had happened two and a half years ago. He talked about rescuing her from the pool, hearing her sing, the fight in the bathroom, trying to seduce her, and then finally his betrayal.

Itachi watched the play of emotions across his brother's face. He saw clearly the pride and pleasure, and the grief and self-flagellation. He squeezed Sasuke hand gaining his attention after the story. "Sasuke, I have a request."

"Huh? A request?" Sasuke look at him.

"Consider it a last request," Itachi murmured.

"Anything, Itachi," Sasuke said.

"I want to meet this Naruto. Will you find her and bring her to meet me?" Itachi's eyes closed again.

"Y—Yes."

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O.O OMG

Leave a review, tell me what you think now!

ZEN


	14. Chapter 14

I only update this quickly because of my reviewers. Your always so full of praise and it makes me excited to write. THANKS SO MUCH! **Tyrell--**I'm getting to it more suspense to come, murder, mayhem, well more mayhem than murder. **Itooshii, Ranma, basketball-lover, sessholove, Firie**, and **Edelta--**Thanks so much.

Now for the real reason that your all here.

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Naruto was jarred awake by the ringing of the phone. Pushing her wild fall of hair out of her eyes, she reached for the handset and pushed the talk button.

"What?!" she groused into the handset.

"Is that any way to greet you favorite uncle?" Iruka's cheerful voice grated along her nerves. People that cheerful were so annoying it made the rest of the more human people want to strangle them with their rose colored glasses.

"It is when its," she glanced at the clock, "FIVE IN THE FREAKING MORNING!"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot the time difference." He didn't sound at all apologetic.

"So what do I owe the pleasure of your _early_ phone call to?" she asked with all the sarcasm she could muster into her voice, which wasn't much considering that the sun hadn't even gotten out of bed yet.

"Well," she heard the sigh and braced for the question, "I'm wondering when you're going to come home?"

Naruto heard the thread of loneliness in her uncle's voice and felt the shard called guilt dig a little deeper.

"I'm not sure, Uncle," she said. She threw back the blankets, sitting up. She knew that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.

"Kiba and Hinata are asking if you're going to be home for the wedding." It was a low blow and her uncle knew it. He wasn't pulling his punches.

"I know, Neji's phone calls have become a daily ritual."

"Naruto, it's time to come home." He firmed his voice and gave the command with every expectation that Naruto would follow it.

Naruto hung up and reached for her pants, slipping them on and replacing the sleep shirt with a baby doll T.

She padded softly out to the living room and switched on the computer. As she sat down to get to work, she picked up the wedding invitation. She studied the picture of Hinata as she looked up at her groom, the love she felt writing clearly across her delicate features. Kiba was wearing a similar expression looking down at his bride.

She missed her friends, being able to laugh together, playing around with them. She missed Kiba's energetic antics and is irreverence in the face of seriousness. She longed to hear Neji's advice as he tried to suppress their antics and keep control over situations that had already been lost to control. She wanted to see Hinata's joy at marrying Kiba. She even missed Sakura's concern and her rivalry with Ino. She wanted to go to the best restaurant in town with Chouji and have a bowl of stir-fry. She had even grown fond of Shikamaru's lazy energy with life. Shino, Ten Ten, Lee, Gaara and even Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon.

She read the words that were printed in silver leaf, brushed a thumb across them. She could call the airport today and be in Konoha by tomorrow morning. Uncle Iruka was right; it's time to go home.

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"Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Hyuga," Sasuke said as he shook the man's hand. He received a polite smile in return. Sasuke had actually asked the man for the invite with the implication that in return Uchiha Industries would begin supplying the man with business. Hyuga hadn't asked why Sasuke wanted the invite but had been willing to exchange the favor for the business.

"Thank you for coming, Sasuke," Hyuga replied. "I hope that you enjoy the festivities."

Sasuke smiled before moving to a table in a darkened corner. He had caught Hinata briefly in passing and had extended his congratulations. She had thanked him but hadn't recognized him in the slightest which was to Sasuke's benefit. He knew that if Kiba knew he was here then he would abruptly not be, having been literally kicked to the curb or further.

He watched the proceedings with mild interest his eyes scanning the crowd. The couple lovingly cut their wedding cake, feeding it to each other without the traditional shoving of the sticky mess into each others faces. Then he watched as both bride and groom quickly covered the rest of the traditions, throwing the bouquet, then the garter.

There had been a dinner earlier for the guests and family which Sasuke had skipped, he was sure that he would have been seen. He noticed that most of the older people were absent leaving only the younger crowd to their activities.

There was a stage set up where a band was tuning their instruments and getting ready for the main celebration. They seemed vaguely familiar but he couldn't place where he had seen them. One of the bands broke off from the group and approached Neji. He whispered in his ear for a second and received a grin for his effort. Neji took the stage and was handed a mic. He cleared his throat gaining everyone's attention. He grinned widely at the couple.

"Kiba, I want to congratulate you on your nuptials, and Hinata, I apologize that you're getting a dog for a husband. I tried to housebreak him but it didn't stick." There was a round of laughter. "I didn't do the whole speech earlier because I was waiting for this moment. You've been my best friend for forever and…well, I'm so happy for you. I wish you and Hinata the best for you future together and I have gotten you a little gift for your wedding day."

Kiba grinned back then kissed his wife quickly.

"Alright, alright save that for your honeymoon or you're gonna miss this gift and I won't be responsible for the consequences if that happens." Neji grinned as he motioned for the lights. They dimmed leaving a mild twilight with the main focus of the stage. Neji stepped back and handed the mic to a shadow that was just out of range of the stage.

He watched as Hinata leaned closer to Kiba as the music started. A young man in the group took up a mic.

"Would the bride and groom step to the middle of the floor for their first dance together as husband and wife."

The couple did as asked and turned into each others arms eyes glowing at each other. The sweet tones of Bryan Adams' Everything I Do (I Do It for You) filled the night air and the first line was sung by a low slightly husky voice.

Sasuke nearly came out of his seat but was able to restrain himself, barely as Naruto stepped into the light.

Hinata squealed and left a stunned Kiba in the middle of the dance floor to run to the slight woman and throw her arms around her. Kiba swallowed a couple of times then walked over to the stage. He pulled Naruto out of Hinata's arms and into his own for a tight bear hug. The music continued to play.

She smiled brilliantly at Neji over Kiba's shoulder and then swiped a hand across her face to catch the tears that were falling.

"GOD DAMN IT, NARUTO!" Kiba roared as he took her arms and pushed her back. "You could have told me that you were coming!"

"And ruin your wedding present, besides I wasn't sure if my plane was going to make it in time. Stupid airports and their delays because of rain. On of my layovers was having a freaking hurricane so I had to get a different flight. Needless to say I nearly had to fly all the way around the globe just to get here." Naruto turned and hugged Neji who had come up behind them.

"Alright people lets have a redo, because the couple need to have their dance together," Naruto shouted after a few minutes of being greeted by old friends. "Let's save the reunion until after the wedding."

The band restarted the song as Naruto took up the mic again. They ran through several songs while people gather in the floor and danced together. Then the band started playing 'Pocket full of Sunshine."

"Ladies!" Naruto shouted to the gathering, "it's time to strut you stuff for the men." She laughed and motioned for them to line up across from the guys.

The women swung into a rambunctious, seductive line dance for the men and literally 'strutted' their stuff. Hinata was front and center and every time she swung her hips Kiba would howl, much to everyone's delight and amusement Hinata was tuning into a bright red tomato.

After that the band broke into 'Save a horse ride a cowboy' to which the men replaced the women and rode out the song. Hinata returned the favor making Kiba laugh and blush also, which was even more amusing.

After a time the group took a break and Sasuke stood. Maneuvering his way through the crowd he approached the stage where Naruto was speaking with the young man who had announced the first dance.

Neji and Kiba were the first to see him and moved to intercept. Neji's face was closed and impassive as her studied the man before him. Kiba wasn't so cold.

"Look what the cat dug up, a dead rat," he snarled and folded his arms across his chest.

"Looks that way, Kiba," Neji replied in a frosty voice. "Think Hinata will mind?" The two looked at each other in silent communication.

"Doubt it she'd want to help tear his nuts off."

"What are you doing here, Uchiha?" Neji finally addressed him.

"Attending the Hyuga's daughter's wedding." Sasuke lifted his chin and copied Kiba's blatant suggestion that he was going to be immovable.

"Who invited you?" Neji asked, his jaw clenching in suppressed anger.

"Hiashi Hyuga." Hiashi was the head of the family and also Hinata's father.

"Do you have the invite?"

Sasuke lifted a brow then dug into the front pocket of his tuxedo jacket he held out the invitation to Neji. Neji took the card and studied it before tearing it in two; he handed the halves back to Sasuke.

"Now you're officially uninvited."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the man and pushed the torn invitation back into his pocket. "I need to talk to Naruto, it's urgent, and I came here hoping to get that opportunity."

Violence burned in Neji's eyes now instead of the ice from earlier.

"I should rip your balls off. How dare you even speak her name?" His hands fisted at his side as he fought not to do just that. He didn't want to create a scene at Hinata's wedding but he didn't know if he would be able to restrain himself much longer. Kiba was fighting for the same control, and losing because he was nearly foaming.

"She didn't deserve what you did to her," Kiba bit out.

"If you won't let me talk to her, then would you give her a message?" Sasuke asked impassively, ignoring the rage both men were showing.

"YOU GOD DAMNED MOTHER…"

Sasuke didn't hear the rest of the statement. Gaara had come up silently behind him and clubbed him over the head. Before his eyes closed though, he did see a flash of bright blond hair.

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OUCH, O.O Think that hurt much. But Gaara isn't finished with him yet. Stay tuned for the next Chapter!!!

It will be release some time next June!

JK!!!!! calm down it will be out soon very soon, maybe in the year 2010.

Mwahahahaha!

Love you all

ZEN!!!


	15. Chapter 15

Sasuke came to in a dark alley that smelled like someone had been using it as a bathroom. He was partially covered by a cardboard slab and lying in a puddle that he definitely didn't want to think about. His head throbbed and he lifted a hand to feel the huge knot in the back. He winced then tried to stand which nearly caused him to pass out again.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath. "That was fucking brilliant Uchiha. You should have known that they wouldn't let you anywhere near her after what had happened."

"Better watch it; they take away people that talk to their selves." A thin nasally voice commented.

Sasuke looked around to see an old man in well worn rags from the homeless collection. The man was sitting down on the far side of the alley leaning back against the brick building behind him. He was clutching an empty rum bottle and surveying Sasuke with cynical eyes. He also had an amused smirk on his face.

"Where am I?"

"Mm? Well, see here's that thing. That big guy with red hair and a tattoo dropped you off…oh, about an hour ago. Paid me fifty buck to keep my trap shut, about where you were and who you were with. But, the way I see it I can cash out doubly because you look like a man with some cash to burn. I'm thinking that I could five you the information you seek and gain a little extra on the side." The man lifted his bottle in a see empty kind a fashion.

Sasuke reached into his pockets and…came up empty.

"That son of a bitch!" Sasuke snarled. "He took my wallet."

"Oh, well now, that's too bad," the bum said, "see, no money no info. That the way it works around here."

"Thank for nothing," Sasuke growled. His head was feeling a little better so he attempted to stand again. He made it but just barely. He stumbled to the brick wall and leaned against it trying to keep the contents of his stomach where they were. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard before opening them. By that time, the world had quit spinning and he was able to walk, slowly. It was better that the crawling he had been thinking he would have to do a few minutes ago.

He reached the sidewalk in front of the building and looked for a street sign. He saw a woman in skimpy dress on the corner and approached her.

"Hey, honey, you looking for a good time. I'm free and we can step into that alley over there?" the streetwalker asked.

"No, I need to know where I am. Can you tell me?"

"Must have been a good night if you don't remember, huh? Well, hon, you're on the corner of 60th and Penn. Down by the railroad yard."

"Thanks," Sasuke said then turned nearly falling flat on his face again.

"Oh, hon, you don't look so good. You want that I flag down an officer. He could take you to the hospital?" The hooker was showing her concern. Most likely because she didn't want to answer any questions should a john (and he was obviously a john) be found dead on her beat.

"No, no, thank you. Do you know where I can call a cab?" Sasuke asked through panting breaths; his head feeling like it was about to drop off his shoulders.

"Hon, cabs don't come down here. Too many gang rivalries, it's not very safe. You would have to walk nearly a mile north if you want a cab and you might not get one even then." She explained in sympathy for the good-looking dream in front of her.

"Okay, then thanks." He stumbled up the street pausing to lean against a building every ten feet or so as his head continued to get worse. Black spots began to float in front of his eyes.

Dimly he heard a car engine stop and the slamming of a door. He felt strong, slender arms come around his waist and a shoulder brace against him.

"Damn, Uchiha, you're going to get your self killed one of these days," he heard the voice from his dreams mutter.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah, teme, you idiot."

"Thought you hated me."

"I do, but I'm not about to let my friends get hurt because of you."

"Lean against the car…and stay upright for God's sake. I won't be able to lift you if you fall."

He felt cool metal under his hands and he leaned against it as instructed as for remaining upright, he wasn't about to fall after he had made put forth the painful effort of getting to his feet.

"Here, get in."

He was propelled down and into a soft leather seat, the door was slammed and he lost consciousness.

"What happened?" a male voice was saying when Sasuke regained consciousness, sort of. His mind was still hazy and he really wasn't able to grasp what was happening.

"Gaara." Naruto said. "Help me get him into the house."

"W—where am I?" Sasuke muttered trying to focus but his head spun with every motion.

"You're at my house." Naruto said.

"No, I—I haf to get homme," he slurred the words.

"Come on, Sasuke, you can't go home yet. I think that you have a concussion and you need someone to look after you."

"No, m—my brother…sick…needs me." He was loosing the fight to stay conscious again.

"Shit," Naruto muttered, "Iruka…"

"You had better take him to his house, I'm afraid that if we force him to fight than we'll just end up making things worse."

"Shit!"

"Remember that you have to wake him every hour and if he doesn't wake then you need to get him to a hospital regardless of the consequences."

"Yeah, damn it!"

The darkness consumed him again.

Naruto looked at the pale man in her passenger seat. He was normally pale but the pallor that he wore now worried her. If she hadn't found him she was truly afraid that he would have died.

_God Damn IT!_

She told herself that the dying part didn't bother her, but the fact that her friends were involved was the reason that she was here now.

She pulled into the drive, stopping in front of the large gate. She reached over a gently shook him.

"Sasuke," she asked loudly trying to gain his attention, "Sasuke, what's the code?"

"Code?" he mumbled the word slurred.

"Your gate code so that we can go to the house?" she explained slowly.

"One…zero….two…three."

She punched the code in and watched as the gate slowly moved to allow the car through. She drove up the driveway to park in front of a sprawling house. The lights were on and a man in formal dress hurried down the steps frowning at the car and waving his hands.

"Miss, miss you can't…"

"Help me get, Sasuke into the house. Please," Naruto asked opening the door to show that man Sasuke. He stepped back in surprise then rushed to help her. He took one side putting his shoulder under Sasuke's arm pit while she took the other side.

"Mm…sorry…" Sasuke muttered.

"Just concentrate on walking," Naruto replied.

They were able to get him to his room and settled him the bed.

"Um, he said something about his brother," Naruto asked.

"Master Itachi

"I guess so, he said he was sick?"

"Oh, yes, Master Itachi had ALS."

Naruto's eyes widened and sadness filled her. She remembered Sasuke talking about his brother. She sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Yes, we are sad for the young master, he is quite close to his brother." The man nodded.

"Oh, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, um, if you don't mind I will stay and keep an eye on Sasuke. He's not doing so well right now." Naruto held her hand out to the man.

"That's fine. I'm Madara Uchiha, Sasuke's great uncle. I will be leaving soon so if you need anything it would be best to do so now other wise you're on your own."

"Oh, I'm fine, um, if you could just point out were the bathroom is I'll be fine."

He did so then left.

Naruto looked around the room. It was painted a dark blue and had several pictures hung around the walls. There was a large print of a black panther crouching in a tree staring directly into the camera. Several photos of Sasuke with a man that was slightly older than him, they were both smiling looking happy. A large bookshelf was filled with book and a stereo system; stacks of CDs were next to it. In a corner was an expensive computer, with screen saver running, she was tempted but restrained herself. The bed where Sasuke rested was cherry wood and the quilt the same dark blue as the walls.

She browsed through the CDs found a group that she like and slipped it into the stereo, turning it down as she did so that she wouldn't wake Sasuke. She then looked through the book and found that she had read most of them. She picked up a new release that she hadn't read and settled in for a long night.


	16. Chapter 16

HI people's new chapter!!! (too many insisting that I update quickly so here's your wish)

**Firie**—thank you, **Ranma**—good thing you don't have to hang too long I wouldn't want you to lose your grip (might hurt yourself and be unable to read this), **basketball-lover**—be careful or your ego will pop, but I hope I'm no being too predictable, **Edelta88**—I think that the privacy would have done him in, public appearance were detrimental to his health, just thin what a private one would have been like (maybe following through on a few threats) oh and I hope that this clears up that earlier issue, **Itooshi**—I wouldn't put it past Sasuke to screw up again, he can be a complete imbecile when it comes to Naruto.

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Naruto sighed as she stood and wandered around the room for the tenth time. It might as well be a hundred because she was bored. She had even checked out the computer which was pass word locked and after spending ten minutes typing in random words she gave up. She paced to the window to look out at the darkness then to the door then to the bed to look down and Sasuke.

She had already woken him up twice and she still had another forty-five minutes to go until the next time. Each time he had muttered something about being sorry then dozed off again. She glared at him.

_Why the hell am I here in the first place?_

_Because you don't want your friends to wind up in jail._

_Shut up. I don't need you patronizing me. It doesn't change the fact that this man stole my program, wiped the drive of all traces of it and even tool the back up I had made. Shit, I should have just left him on the street._

Naruto grew impatient then decided that she needed to get out for a minute. She strode to the door, glanced back, then slipped from the room. Once out in the hallway she looked up and down the hallway. The way she had come in was to the right so she turned to the left and started opening doors and looking in.

Many of the rooms were empty except for a bed that held just a mattress and box springs. She found another bathroom and a huge walk in closet that was stuffed with all the bedding that would be needed to make every bed in the place. She eyed it before backing out of the bed feeling sorry for the people that would have to do it if the Uchiha's decided to have people over.

She glanced at her watch and saw she still had half an hour and continued exploring. She approached a door that was slightly ajar and had a dim light coming from it. She peeked in and saw a man on a bed surrounded by monitors and IV. She frowned as she opened the door a little further. The door squealed alerting the man on the bed that someone was there.

"Sasuke?" she heard the mumbled, slurred voice ask.

"I'm sorry but he isn't able to get out of bed right now, but if you need something I'd be happy to help." Naruto said stepping into the room.

The man on the bed was thin, terribly thin; he looked like he was a war refugee that hadn't eaten a good meal in years. The man weakly raised a hand and waved her towards the bed. The hand trembled at the effort then fell with a soft plop back to the bed.

Naruto approached silently staring at the man. She could see the resemblance to his brother and she looked into familiar onyx eyes that surveyed her.

"Who are you?" he mumbled.

"Naruto Uzumaki, sir," she softly said, feeling her heart fill with sadness.

"Ah, my brother…had spoken of you." The voice was croaky and at times the words jumbled together like the man didn't have control over his tongue. "I asked him to find you so that…meet…you."

"Oh, um…" Naruto didn't know how to reply to that se she fell silent.

"…need to…sorry," Itachi mumbled then frowned clenched his jaw and stated with a little more care. "He only did it because of me."

"Itachi, you should be resting."

Naruto spun and saw Sasuke leaning weakly against the door jam. He held a hand to the back of his head then, seeing Naruto's concerned look, dropped the hand to his side. He frowned darkly at Naruto before moving, slowly, to the bed.

Sasuke checked the monitors and IV then tucked the blankets lovingly around his brother. Itachi's hand shook as it took Sasuke's. Sasuke looked up at the man and nodded. He looked at Naruto, a silent warning in his eyes, then walked to the window to stare out at the night ridden world.

Naruto stepped up to the bed and took the hand that Sasuke had just held. She could feel the muscles jerking under her hand.

"My pa…ents raised me to …lieve that the family was…first. Nothin…before family…then the company. We were to make sure the company…first." Itachi looked at Sasuke. "I've…never been…od at anything…else, and I instilled…the same…values…in Sasuke. I didn't….until it was too late and I couldn't fix it for him."

Naruto raised her eyes to study Sasuke's back. She wanted to yell at this man, to tell him that it still didn't make it right, what they had done. They shouldn't have known better, known that it was wrong, illegal. But the emaciated man and the defeated look on Sasuke's shoulders kept her quiet.

"Naruto…I am fully to blame…for the…what happened," Itachi said. "I have prepared…a contract to be taken to your uncle company stating that the program and all proceeds are to be given over to your uncle. I…we…the company have issued a formal…ment…apology." Naruto looked down at the man to see that he had drifted into sleep.

She let the hand go and moved to the door.

"It still doesn't change anything," she whispered. "And since your able to get up and around, please set you alarm to go of every hour and in the morning get your self checked out. I hope," she sighed then continued. "I hope that you won't press charges. Gaara already has enough strikes against him that one more and he will go to jail. Neji starts law school next month, and Kiba, well you already know that Kiba just went on his honeymoon. But I will understand if you do." She left before Sasuke could say anything.

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"Naruto!" Uncle Iruka's excited voice rang out through the hallway.

Naruto looked up from her computer and watched as her uncle strode down the isle between cubicles. She had started working for her uncle a week before and was shuffled into a developing team.

"Uchiha Industries have contacted us to hand the program that you developed over. They said that all proceeds from the program will be given up and a formal letter of apology given as long as our company doesn't press charges in light of the evidence."

"That's great, Uncle," Naruto smiled but didn't feel like celebrating. Everything just seemed a little to late. "Hey, I'm about to go to lunch do you want to join me?"

"Ah, I'm sorry, I can't I have to meet with the lawyers and go over the details. I'll see you at the house later and…" Iruka trailed off and looked even more apologetic. "Uh, I won't be able to get home until real late tonight. I have the meeting with Wave tonight. So how about we have lunch tomorrow?"

"That's fine," Naruto said, standing and gathering her jacket. "Tomorrow it is."

"Oh and…I will be meeting with the Uchiha tomorrow. I want you there so gain your input. I think they might want to discuss a merger." He turned before she could say anything.

A merger? She knew that the company had suffered tremendous losses when the program had been literally stolen out from under them but she didn't think that it had affected it that much that her uncle would contemplate a merger.

She stood stunned before she sat back down at her computer and started hacking into the company files. Starting with that year's finances and records she back tracked to now. With each new file she pulled up, the weight on her shoulders became heavier and heavier. The records showed not only a loss in profits but also a loss in customers that had been regulars for a long time. With each year the company lost more money and more business. Until it was on the verge of bankruptcy.

She forgot about lunch as she delved deeper into the company's files. It was very late she when finally emerged wanting to shake her uncle. How could he have let this happen? What had he been doing and why hadn't he said anything? Why hadn't Sarutobi said anything before he died last year? Sarutobi had to have know, he knew everything that was happening in the company?

She had more questions than answers and it frustrated her to no end.

She waited until her uncle came home.

"Uncle," she asked as soon as he came through the door, "we need to talk."

Iruka looked at the determined face of his niece and sighed. There wasn't going to be any getting around it. She knew, probably had hack the computers at work and found out everything.

"Come into the library."

He poured a glass of imported brandy and settled into one of the comfortable leather chairs. Naruto took the other and watched him with expectation. He took a breath and resigned himself to the explanation.

"It didn't start with the program that Sasuke stole. The company was taking losses even before then. We kept being underbid on contracts, and loosing long time customers before then. The computer program would have been a huge coup for us but then we lost that also. I tried everything I could to keep the company afloat, everything that legal that is but Uchiha and others just seemed to have the luck I guess."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"There wasn't anything you could have done."

"I could have worked on a program that was even better than that last security program. I have been working on one. It could pull us out of this slump," Naruto insisted.

"When will the program be finished?" Iruka looked at her speculatively.

"Another month, two at the most…" Naruto trailed off as her uncle shook his head.

"Another month and the back will have foreclosed. I've been in negotiations with Uchiha for the last year and everything has been taken care of except for signing the bill of sale." Iruka leaned forward settling his forearms on his legs and studying the floor between his feet.

"Why didn't Sarutobi say something?"

"I asked him not to. He wanted to; he thought that you would be able to save the company. And the truth be told, I didn't want you to devote your whole life to the company. I still don't."

Naruto stared at her uncle in disbelief. She felt hurt but she also at the same time understood everything that he had said. She breathed deeply and tried to figure out some way to save the situation, but it was as bad as he had stated. Another month and the bank would foreclose on the company and then they would have a chance in hell of salvaging anything. With the merger, her uncle could still stand straight with honor.

"What about the company employees?" she asked.

"That was one of the negotiation points. Unless the employee has an unforgivable black mark against them then Uchiha Industries will retain then with their present salaries. Though some of the divisions will be phased out and the employees placed into other positions, but they won't loose their employment."

"What are you going to do, become a junior partner?"

"No, _I_ am retiring. I've been thinking about it for a long time now and I've decided that now is as good a time as any. I'm not getting any younger and when I started the company it was for my benefit and I want to start taking advantage of it. What's the point of being wealthy if I can't do what I want to do?" He laughed, sitting back in his chair. "Perhaps I'll take a trip around the world or buy a boat and go sailing for a while."

"Is this truly what you want?"

Iruka studied his niece and nodded. "Yes, this is what I want."

Naruto smiled then said, "Then I am happy for you."

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You know what to do! SHOW ME THE LOVE PLEASE *puppydog eyes*

ZEN


	17. Chapter 17

AWW! Thanks everybody for the reviews. I'm trying to keep the updates coming. I've been trying to work on my other story but this one seems to be taking precedent right now. I also have other ideas for stories floating in the flotsam on my mind. I'm hoping that the story keeps cranking itself out. Also I am hoping that the action starts to pick itself up. It seems that I have to reestablish Naruto's and Sasuke's relationship while trying to balance it with the next part of the story. And yeah, Itooshi, (SORRY!) Sasuke and Naruto are going to have a relationship but I still have ideas to get back at him for everything that he had done. OKAY, OKAY, quit yelling at me. ON WITH THE STORY!

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The papers were signed and the company officially handed over to the Uchiha, without Naruto being in attendance. She had begged her uncle to let her off the hook of attending the meetings. A week later she had received a memo stating that she duties would be continuing the same as before. She sighed with relief. If she played her card right then she would be able to avoid any contact with her new employer.

Everyday there were new faces and people being shuffled about from department to department as the two companies found a balance in talents and abilities.

"Hey, I'm Karin, I'm going to be in charge of the development department," a dark haired lady with thick horn-rimmed glasses stated at the Monday morning staff meeting. "Sasuke Uchiha has personally assigned me a team and I am looking forward to meeting with you very soon."

For some reason, as Naruto studied the woman, she looked vaguely familiar. She was young about Naruto's age and mildly pretty. Not the stunning, everyone has to stare at pretty but the girl next door type of pretty. She was studying everyone in the room and when her eyes came across Naruto they narrowed. A look of mild disgust crossed her features before she covered it up and looked to the next person. Naruto wasn't even sure that she had recognized the look properly or if it was her imagination going into over drive.

"I heard that she's like the ultimate bitch, that she was transferred here because she didn't get along with the department she was in at Uchiha's main office. But why give her top spot over here just to get her out of the way, I'll never know?" a young, woman said in an aside to Naruto. The girl was a couple of inches taller than her and had a straight fall of carrot colored hair. Naruto smiled but didn't comment.

The meeting took all of fifteen minutes as Karin had everyone stand and describe themselves. Naruto took her turn but was barely got two words spoken before she was asked to sit down. Blinking in confusion, she took her seat again.

"Dang, that was pretty obvious that she doesn't like you. Do you know her?" the woman asked.

"No," Naruto replied. She was beginning to wish that she had stayed at her desk. At least the computer was less subtle about its dislike.

They were dismissed soon after and she went back to her small cubicle the woman following.

"I know that we haven't met yet. I'm Sasame Fuma. I was just transferred here on Friday and haven't had a chance to meet anyone yet. I'll be working research and encryption." She held out a hand, Naruto took the hand and shook it.

"Naruto, I'm programming."

"Really? That's awesome. I wanted to go into programming but found that I was much better at research." She smiled brightly at Naruto. "Oh there's my cousin, he's in reaserch too, but I've gotta go so I'll see you around."

The girl turned and practically skipped up to a young man with shoulder length white blond hair.

Later, she received a summons into Karin's office. The office was a standard corner office with a large black desk in the middle a couple of generic plants in the corner and a bank of bookshelves lined with books on everything computer related.

Karin was seated behind the desk her long muscular legs shown off to advantage in the dark blue suit and short skirt. Blue pumps with three inch heels matched the suit and added unnecessary height. She had taken off the glasses and was twirling them around as she talked on the phone.

Naruto stood in the door waiting to be acknowledged. Karin glanced up once but didn't make any motion to wave her into the room. Five minutes passed as she stood there, her impatience growing with each tick the clock counted. Karin hung up made a note on the pad in front of her before looking up at Naruto.

"And you are…?" Karin asked with a lifted brow as if she hadn't kept Naruto standing in the door way.

"Naruto Uzumake." Naruto bit off trying to control her temper which was quick at the best of times. After the meeting she mood had quickly took a turn for the worse. Naruto lifted her chin a fraction and squared her shoulders. For some reason she felt like she was about to square off with this woman.

"Oh, yes, please take a seat, and I will be quick about this." Karin indicated the seat in front of the desk.

Naruto sat and crossed her legs. She was glad that she had dressed carefully that morning. She was wearing a pair of black slacks that emphasized the length of her legs and the narrowness of her waist. The light peach silk blouse was cut in a flattering way that clung to her curves. She had even added a white string of pearls that had been her mothers.

"I have been requested to set up a team for working on an old computer program to upgrade it and make it more…um…secure. I'm told that this program was originally created by you." Karin said without any inflection but Naruto had the impression that she thought that the program inferior. "So since the program was yours then naturally the best person for the team is of course you."

Naruto didn't say anything.

"Sasuke Uchiha personally requested that you be placed on the team, but I'm reserving judgment at this point." She said with a small twitch to her nose, like she wanted to wrinkle it in a way that said she smelled something bad.

"Ah, of course," Naruto said with a lift of her brow, "but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to decline your generous offer."

Karin blinked the brow furrowing. The glasses were suddenly back on her face as she leaned forward.

"I'm afraid that you don't have a choice. If you aren't a part of this team then Uchiha Industries doesn't have a place for you. This is a specialized team organized for this particular purpose. UI has more that plenty regular employees that can program." She definitely was talking down at Naruto.

"I understand, but you are under the impression that I'm going to remain at Uchiha Industries. That is incorrect thinking. I am currently looking for a position at a different company and it wouldn't be fair to the plenty of regular employees that would like a chance at that position or UI for that matter," Naruto adopted the same tone that Karin was using and stood. "Thank you, but I am turning down the position."

She walked out with her head high and a bounce in her step. She made it back to her cubicle before she started laughing at the expression of shock that Karin had when she walked out without being dismissed.

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Sasuke was going through a stack of contracts and documents that he had been putting off when his secretary's voice interrupted.

"Mr. Uchiha, Karin from development is here to speak with you." The tiny voice was almost a relief until that moment. Sasuke sighed then pressed the intercom button.

"Go ahead and send her in."

"Sasuke-kun," the woman purred clearly distressed as she rapidly approached his desk on. She carefully took a seat and slowly folded her legs so as to draw his attention. He nearly smiled because he had grown immune to Karin's seduction before they were even out of high school. "That Uzumaki woman that you asked to be on the team despite my given reservations turned the position down which means that _your_ pet project is dead in the river."

"Water," Sasuke corrected.

"Huh?" Karin asked confused.

"Never mind," Sasuke said and frowned at Karin. He shook his head as he looked at her. She had a brilliant mind but her vindictive attitude was beginning to cause conflict among his staff. She was never blatant about it but he had received complaints about her. He had hoped that the transfer would help to her realize that she needed to change her attitude before he was forced to take matters into his own hands. Clearly it wasn't working. "Let me guess. You told her that she wouldn't have a place at UI if she didn't take the position, giving her an ultimatum. _After_ I specifically told you that the project couldn't go forward with Naruto Uzumaki. _And_ you did so without my consent."

Karin was beginning to understand the treacherous ground that she was now walking on.

"Sasuke-kun, you said it yourself that the project wouldn't go forward without her help. But we have many programmers that are very competent in their jobs and any one of them _is_ more than capable of handling the upgrades for the program. Uzumaki was a trouble maker in school and I think that the company would be best served by finding a replace for her as quickly as possible. And she told me that she is trying to find a place with a different company anyway so we will have to go forward with the plan without her." Karin quickly explained in a rush.

Sasuke's frown darkened with a jolt of anger at hearing that Naruto was looking to leave UI. He leaned back in his own leather seat and set his ankle on his knee. He clenched a fist as he tried to keep from strangling Karin where she sat.

"Karin, I have received several complaints about your high handed attitude towards the staff. And this is just another example of it. I thought, no, hoped that the transfer would change things and you could start with a clean slate. This is a warning to you to change and begin again. I will talk with Ms. Uzumaki and hopefully straighten things out with her because we need her on this project. You have a good mind and I respect that but I can't have you alienating the people you work with so find a way to work with them." Sasuke intoned this speech with all seriousness.

"Sa--" Karin started but was interrupted.

"Good day, Karin and thank you for bringing this to my attention." Sasuke dismissed her.

Karin left, her face clearly showing shock and anger.

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Naruto picked up her coat and was shuffling things into her desk as she got ready to leave work. She stretched and rubbed at a spot behind her neck that had knotted up from working at the desk all day. Her temples were beginning to throb and her felt sore all over. She hoped that she wasn't getting sick.

"Naruto?"

Startled, Naruto spun around to come face to face with Sasuke who was standing a little too close. Her eyes widened and she took a step back so that she didn't have to crane her already sore neck back to look up at him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, and felt a wave of trepidation run through her.

"Have a seat, I would like to talk to you," Sasuke said and took a seat from the vacated cubicle across from hers and pulled it up. He gracefully sat down.

Naruto eyes him warily then took her seat again. She clutched the coat to her chest as if it was a shield. Sasuke sighed lightly as he saw this gesture.

"Naruto, Karin told me that you are planning on leaving UI. Is this true?" he asked.

"Yes, I don't think that working for you is such a good idea, a kind of conflict of interests." Naruto's alarm meter was notching up by the second as she sat there.

"I see. I had hoped that you would give UI a chance, but if your mind is clearly made up then there isn't any way to change it, is there?" Sasuke asked.

"No."

"I see," he said again then met her eyes. "I'm sorry to here that, but since you haven't been at UI long enough for me to evaluate your performance then I am unable to provide you with a reference." He sighed and shook his head regretfully.

Naruto's heart thumped in her chest and she sat in stunned silence. Without a reference from her latest job then she didn't have a chance at finding another job. She hadn't had a job in the two years she had been in Japan studying either.

"As a matter of fact this you only being with the company for this limited amount of time then my response, to anyone who calls, will to be poor." He nailed the coffin shut.

"I see," Naruto muttered. She really didn't have a choice but to stay with UI at least for a little while longer.

"I recommended you to Karin for that project because you know the ins and outs of the program very well. The security program is a little out dated but I'm sure with your help the program will be finished in no time, and once the program is finished than I would be more than happy to give you a glowing reference to any company that you choose."

"Then I guess that I have no choice but to remain here," Naruto said and looked into his eyes to see if he was smirking because his face remained in its naturally stoic, and emotionless mask.

"Good, then that's settled then. Thank you." Sasuke stood up then held out a hand.

Naruto reached to shake it but as soon as she placed her hand in his, his warm fingers enveloped hers and he pulled her from her seat.

"May I see you out?" He didn't wait for a reply just placed his hand on the small of her back and led her from the office and to the elevators.

Naruto didn't say anything as she stepped into the lift allowing it to take her and Sasuke to the ground floor. She remained passive as they exited the building out the front doors.

"Oh, there's my ride," Naruto said brightly as she saw a silver Aston sitting at the curb and Gaara standing next to it.

Sasuke glared at the man who smirked back. Naruto bounced to the car and allowed Gaara to open the door for her. She reached up to brush a lock of red hair off his forehead as she greeted him. It was an intimate gesture but she didn't have any qualms about giving Sasuke the impression that they were an item. She settled into the car without a backward look, patting herself on the back.

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Well, hell, Sasuke is back to being his normal bastard self. Naruto just can't get a break.

To everyone who favorited this story Please leave a review. They make me so excited to continue the story that everything else in my life suffers; like cleaning house, doing laundry, taking the dog for a walk (he's wasting away to practically nothing *laughs* haha, I don't have a dog) but the cats are beginging to like the fish and that can't be good. right?

Thanks everyone for reading this.

Love you all,

ZEN


	18. Chapter 18

Oh, my goodness, the story is finally picking up again. HipHipHoraay!

Thank you guys for your Faabuulloouuss Reviews. Can't wait so see what you think of this next chapter. So on with the Story

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"Oh, my, gosh," Naruto panted as she dropped into her seat. She looked around at her friends. Neji leaned back in his seat wearing a royal blue silk shirt that was open and showing off the nicely muscled chest. Kiba and Hinata, just back from their honeymoon were staring into each others eyes. Ino was draped over her boyfriend, Sai. Sakura had her arm around her date, a girl from the local university. Shikamaru had his head down on his folded arms looking like he was sleeping but every once in a while he would look up.

"What?" Neji asked as he looked around at the crush of bodies that were undulating in time to the music.

"I haven't been in a club this packed since we were in high school," Naruto said wiping the droplets of sweat off her forehead. "I'd forgotten how claustrophobic it can feel."

Gaara leaned over and settled his arm around the top of her chair. He smirked at the comment but said nothing. He began to play with a strand of her hair wrapping it around his fingers. She ignored the gesture for the most part; he only did it to be annoying.

She snatched up a bottle of tea and drowned the rest of it in one gulp, then giggled as Hinata smacked Kiba for groping her in public. Kiba grinned at me then captured Hinata's lips in a very mushy and forceful kiss.

"Ms. Uzumaki, the company frowns on such displays," a snide female voice came from behind her.

Naruto looked around with her own sneer at Karin who stood with an arm around some poor boy with dark hair.

"You should remember at all times that you are a representative of UI and conduct yourself in such a way so as not to bring shame to the company,' Karin went on to lecture."

Naruto tipped her chin up and glared down her nose at the woman.

"I don't think that what I do on my own time is the companies business. And the next time you feel a confession coming on go tell the local priest-in-a-box and not the boss man. 'kay?" Naruto swung back around her light mood disappearing in an instant.

Karin huffed away dragging the boy with her.

"Shit!" Naruto muttered then shrugged. "Gaara, lets dance." She took Gaara's hand and pulled him up.

Naruto immersed herself in the music and gyrated along with the best of them letting Gaara pull her close for a full on contact dance. Gaara was an excellent partner and could steer her body with just a few touches.

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The rest of the week dragged itself along. She spent her days going over the computer and working on way to upgrade it so that it could be used with the new programs that had been developed in the last two years. There were three other people including the girl from the meeting Sasame on the team. Karin was also on the team and glared at Naruto every chance she got. The other person on the team was an older man named Kabuto. They in part checked the work and helped with ideas on how to improve the program while Naruto entered in commands and codes that would execute their ideas.

By the end of the week, Naruto's nerves were shot and she wanted to bit someone's head off, preferably Karin's. Since the club Karin had been trying in every way to find fault with Naruto's work and conduct while at the company. She would show up during her breaks, every little bug the program developed was scrutinized and gone over with the air that it was done on purpose to make the company look bad. If it wasn't for Sasame's quick eye and her aversion to Karin, Naruto had no doubt that she would have been accused of trying to plug a virus into the program that would ruin the company.

Friday evening came as a relief. Naruto was so glad that she had two days before she had to work under the microscope again.

"Hey, Naruto?" Sasame called from her workspace with a wave. Naruto waved back. "Why don't you come out to the marina tonight? I'm having a small get together and I would love it if you would come."

"That would be great, do you mind if I bring a date?" Naruto asked grinning. She loved meeting new people and Sasame had been a great friend all week.

"Not at all, it's going to be mostly family and I've been talking about you so much that they want to meet you."

Sasame's cousin, Arashi Fuma, walked up behind her. "Yeah, she's been talking non-stop about you all week. Telling us how brilliant you were and the Mr. Uchiha has picked the best person for that new program." He smiled widely and caught Sasame's elbow just before it plowed into his gut.

They gave her directions and Naruto promised to be there. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of shoulder length dark hair as Karin disappeared into her office. Naruto rolled her eyes and thanked heaven for the luck of not having to deal with the woman for two days.

Two hours later and Naruto was on the road. She had called Gaara to see if he would go with her since Neji was back at school and she couldn't really invite Kiba to go and hang out with her, might look weird to Hinata. So she was alone, she plugged her mp3 in and listened to her favorite music.

The marina was thirty miles from town and the road was isolated so the music helped to dispel the loneliness of the drive. The country was beautiful, winding through a forest of maples and cherry blossom trees. It was mid spring so that the cherry blossoms were blooming and sprinkled the road with pink.

She rounded a corner and pressed on the brake to slow down. The frowned at the sluggishness and made a mental note that she would have to have them checked out in the morning.

She entered the canyon mid-way and snapped her fingers as the grade of the road slanted down. She rounded the first turn and pressed on the brakes. Her foot went straight to the floor and the car didn't respond. The fear blossomed inside; the dark insidious knowledge that everything had just went to shit in a hand basket.

She thought back to her driver's education classes and raked her brain as to what to do in this situation.

_Okay, pull onto the shoulder. Apply the hand brake slowly to get the car slowed down. If necessary rub the car against the curb, and down shift._

She looked to the shoulder and noticed the steep face of the rock wall that butted up against the road, so that option was out the same on the other side. She pulled up slowly on the hand brake only to have it come straight up without any resistance.

Her heart began to pound in her chest as the turns were becoming sharper and the grade steeper.

Last chance. She pulled the car onto the shoulder and heard the unholy screech as she rubbed the car long the rocks of the cliff face. She felt the jarring through out her body as the vehicle rocked and jerked then her stomach jolted as the rock face was gone and her car airborne. The car crashed into a small grove of saplings and came to a sudden stop.

Naruto was propelled forward and her head slammed into the steering wheel.

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The phone was ringing breaking through the soft, haze of sleep. Sasuke rolled over and picked the hand set up.

"'lo?" he mumbled into the phone.

"Mr. Uchiha?" a tiny voice on the other side asked.

Sasuke sat up, raised a hand and rubbed his fingers against his eyes trying to come to alertness.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Uchiha we're sorry to call you but do you know a Naruto Uzumaki?" the voice that he could now recognize as female asked.

"Yes, I do she works for me. Why?" Confused, Sasuke focused a little more.

"Well, sir, there was an accident…"

"What?! Where? Is she alright? What happened?" Sasuke was now wide awake and his heart pounded in his chest. Naruto was in an accident?

"Sir, please, Ms. Uzumaki was in an accident as I said earlier. Right now it's too soon to say if she's alright she's still unconscious. We were wondering if you knew how we could get a hold of Ms. Uzumaki's relatives. We tried the phone number on her drivers license but weren't successful and the only other identification that she had was an employment badge for your company." The woman was calmly relaying the information as if Sasuke's world hadn't come to a screeching halt.

"Um, I don't know how to reach her uncle. I will see if she left a forwarding number to reach him in case of an emergency. Um, she needs someone with her or there for her so would I be able to fulfill that role until her uncle shows?"

"I'm sure that she would appreciate someone being her for her, but until she wakes up only family will be allowed into the room…"

"I'm her fiancé!" Sasuke lied interrupting.

"Oh, well, if that's the case then I suppose that it would be fine."

"Great, then I will try and find her uncle's phone number and come down." He hung up and jumped out of bed.

He pulled on a pair of slacks that he had been wearing earlier and a wrinkled white dress shirt. He moved to his computer and began pulling up personnel files until he reached Naruto's. He swiftly glanced at the information until he found her uncle's cell phone number.

He pulled the cell that he had left in his pocket and dialed the number. He was directed to the voice mail where he left a message saying that Naruto was in an accident and was in the hospital then reassured Iruka that she would be fine and that he was going to the hospital now.

He hung up and thought about calling Naruto's friends. It was the right thing to do but if he did that he could only imagine the scene at the hospital when they found out he was allowed in to see her and they weren't. Wincing at another deception, he decided that he would call as soon as she woke up.

He made it to the hospital in record time. He pulled around to the emergency entrance and parked. Then hit the doors at a near run. The nurse on duty directed him down the hallway and Sasuke left, his long legs eating up the distance.

He opened the door and nearly collapsed to his knees. Naruto was lying on the narrow bed, her face nearly as white as the sheet under her, and so still. Tubes were leading from her arm to an IV and an oxygen mask covered her mouth and nose. A swath of bandages was wrapped around her head while streaks of red that hadn't quite gotten cleaned up marred her blond hair.

Swallowing was difficult with the lump that had risen into his throat. He walked slowly to the bed and looked down at her fragile hand, picking it up.

"Sweet Jesus, Naruto,' he whispered. He petted her hand and brushed a stray hair off her cheek.

"Oi, you must be Ms. Uzumaki's fiancé."

Sasuke turned and faced a tall, thin man with glasses. He nodded but couldn't say anything more. The doctor smiled gently at the stricken look on the young mans face.

"It's alright. Ms. Uzumaki was a concussion which we are monitoring very closely and as soon as she wakes up then we will know more. But the worry know is that she wakes up. She hasn't come to consciousness for the last half hour, and that is beginning to worry us.' The doctor explained briefly. He walked up to the bed and took Naruto's other wrist in his and watched his clock for a few minutes, made a note on the clip board he carried, then pulled a small light out of his pocket. He lifted each of Naruto's eye lids and flashed the light into them a couple of times before making another note.

Sasuke watched the whole process silently and felt his knees tremble slightly.

"There is any change which is good new and bad I'm afraid. But since you're here you might have better luck. I'll send an orderly in with a better chair than those." He motioned toward the hard uncomfortable looking ones in they corner of the room, then left.

The orderly showed up ten minutes later with a soft fabric covered chair that Sasuke immediate slid up to the bed and settled down in. He called his great uncle and asked him to watch Itachi for the day and he would arrange for a nurse to come in and help.

He pulled Naruto's hand into his and laid his forehead against her wrist. His eyes closed, but he told himself he wasn't going to sleep, he was just going to rest for a minute.

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Alright! Shower me with praise. *hearts and stars falling all around me* Leave a review and I'll try not to let it go to me head.

Thank You

ZEN


	19. Chapter 19

**Itooshi, Tyrell, Edelta**—this one is for you guys, and don't count your chickens before they're hatched.

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Blue eyed blinked open and blurrily looked around the dimly lit room. High pitched beeping assaulted her ears and someone was trying to crack her skull open from the inside out. She moaned lowly in her throat and found it coated with sandpaper. There was a dead weight on her hand keeping it immobile and her other felt numb.

Her eyes finally cleared of the haze and she could see the tubes leading to an IV and a white box with green flashing lights. Her right arm had tubes tape to it and had gone numb. Her left arm was being weighed down by a dark head. She raised the numb one and felt feeling come back into it. She shook it gently waiting for the blood to start moving. When life came to it she reached over and felt the dark fall of silk.

She brushed her fingers through it and focused on the satiny texture and coolness. The strands played with her fingers tickling the pads. She smiled slightly as she rubbed the locks between her fingers.

Sasuke became aware of fingers rubbing against his scalp and playing with his hair. He didn't move as a feeling of comfort wove it way into his heart. He felt a deep warmth emanate from within and filled his soul with its heat as if he had been living through a freezing winter.

Memories came back and his eyes widened as he remembered getting a call in the middle of the night. He lifted his head and looked into Naruto's open eyes. He felt the sting of relief and breathed a sigh of relief. At least until Naruto frowned at him.

"Wh—What…" her voice croaked.

"I came because they called. They couldn't reach your uncle and found your employee ID and called me," Sasuke explained as he reached for a small pitcher of water and filled a plastic cup with an inch of water. He handed it to her then watched as she gulped it down. "I called your uncle but couldn't get through, so I left a voice mail then came down here to be with you until he arrives."

Naruto glared at him then held the cup out for more. Sasuke filled it again and resumed his seat.

"Where's…" she began only to be interrupted again.

"I didn't call your friends because if I had then they would be here and I wouldn't. I was only allowed to be with you because I told them that I was your fiancé." Sasuke hurried to say.

She sipped at the water and tried to tell whoever was in her brain to knock off the hammering. It was beginning to annoy the hell out of her and interfered with her thinking processes.

She sighed and shifted until her head was back of the pillow and closed her eyes.

"Um, Naruto, don't go back to sleep again. The doctor should be here soon and probably won't believe that you woke up," Sasuke said. She felt him lift her hand into his again, felt the dampness as he kissed her knuckles. "I was so worried."

"Why," she whispered, "because you would have to find someone else to dupe then blackmail into working for you so that your precious company can have its program. Don't think that I didn't realize that you still ended up with the program in the end anyway."

"Can't pull the wool over your eyes," Sasuke muttered then tugged at her hand again. "Naruto, I am deeply sorry for taking the program. I..." he trailed off then sighed, "I saw it and its potential and in the blink of an eye made a rash decision that I have lived with for the last two years. I, stupidly, thought that I could take the program and make myself, my brother, and my family happy. That my parents, thought they were dead, proud of me."

She opened her eyes and saw that he was bent forward staring at the ground. The ebony hair hid his face from her.

"When Itachi found out that I had taken it he wasn't proud and he immediately pulled it from the shelves. But we had made a huge profit within such a short time; it was a brilliant program. Itachi, well, he wasn't proud of the means in which I obtained the program. He pulled me in and lectured me about copy right laws and everything else he would think of, but he didn't have to because I already knew those things. In my heart I knew what I was doing was wrong and when I couldn't find you I couldn't make things right. And I _needed_ to make things right.

"I've looked for your for the last two years. Every person with blond hair, I would study, or if I heard a voice that sounded like yours I would turn and seek you out but you weren't there." Sasuke paused and fidgeted in his seat.

"I know that I'm ruining this apology, I don't know how to express how deeply ashamed I am of myself for everything. But where you're concerned I just can't seem to say the right words and I just keep making the hole deeper. I'm afraid that if I can't make this right that I'm going to lose the best thing that has happened to me. I'm afraid that I already have and I just can't seem to let go." His voice dropped into soft shaky tones.

"I was at my wits end when I heard that Hyuga's daughter was marrying your friend Kiba and I knew that you would be at the wedding. I…" he broke off and looked up at Naruto smiled in self mockery, "I, sort or, black mailed him into inviting me to the wedding. I felt desperate. Itachi's dying and there isn't anything I can do about it, and when I told him about you he asked me to bring you to meet him. I didn't know that he felt guilt about what had happened, but I did promise and thought that this was my one last shot. That's why I was there, facing off against your friends because I didn't want you to disappear again."

"Sasuke," Naruto sighed, felt her head get foggy and she tried to focus on what he was saying. "Sasuke, I'm so tired of fighting you."

"Then don't fight me. Please let me try and make it up to you. Please let me have another shot at making you happy. Don't fight me any longer and I promise that I will kiss you feet every day. I will not betray you again. Please." He asked urgently.

Naruto shook her head. Sasuke felt his heart stutter to a stop and he looked at his feet again.

"I…I can't go through that again," Naruto said. Sasuke felt the flame of hope flicker trying to fight the darkness that was beginning to consume his soul. "I…I don't know if I can forgive you…but I can't fight you any more. The darkness is too near and I don't want it to take me." She whispered and reached out for his warmth, squeezed his hand.

Sasuke felt her hand tighten in his and he heard her words. The flame flared inside him and he looked up. Naruto was looking at him the hurt she had felt shining in her eyes letting him see how deeply the wound went.

He stood and stepped up to the side of the bed, he reached down and brushed a tear that she had shed from her face and leaned down to capture her lips with his. He gently kissed her for the first time in what seemed like eternity to him. He licked his way into her mouth and settled into the kiss eating at her lips.

"Uh-hum," a throat cleared, and Sasuke raised his head to glance around. The doctor stood in the doorway, leaning against the jam with amusement clearly written across his face. "I take it that this means my patient if finally awake."

Sasuke stepped back from the bed and allowed the doctor to examine her. The doctor was quick and efficient as he took her vitals, looked into her eyes with his flashlight again, and removed her bandages to get another look at the deeply purple, and swollen gash on her forehead.

"Well, the good thing is, is that you can leave in the morning, but you need to take it easy for the next week or so. You will also have a headache which I will prescribe some painkillers for you will need to take them one every four to six hours for today and then only if you need them after than. Now, you will have that lump for a couple days but there shouldn't be any permanent scarring so everything is looking good. I'm glad that you finally woke up, but perhaps you and your fiancé should take it easy until next week then you can have wild monkey sex again." The doctor grinned as he finished writing note on the clip board and handed Sasuke a note for the prescription. He winked at Naruto as he left.

Naruto was tomato red and blinking at the closed door. She looked at Sasuke with wide eyes to see him smirking at her. She stuck her tongue out and muttered something about not having wild monkey sex the turned on her side away from him and tried to go back to sleep.

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So how was it? O.O maybe Naruto gave up too soon.

Anyway's leave a review ya'll and I will update again soon.

See ya later

ZEN


	20. Chapter 20

Okay, I realize that its a stupid name but its the only one I could think of at the time. But YEAH!!!! an update!!!!! WOOHOO!!!! scream some more so that those who don't review can here you.

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"Naruto, I think you're making a big mistake," Neji was saying as he helped her move from the bed to the wheelchair. He was glaring at Sasuke as he was talking. He didn't care that the man was standing right there.

"I'm just going to go home, how is that making a big mistake?" Naruto asked as she settled into the chair and rolled her eyes at Neji.

"Don't try to split hairs. I'm talking about letting this…him take care of you. After that stunt he pulled two years ago I can't believe that you are willing to trust him." Neji placed a pillow on her lap, he had brought it with him just in case.

Sasuke stood back and smirked at him, which wasn't helping the situation any. Naruto glared at him trying to tell him to knock it off and be on his best behavior when he was around her friends. Then she smiled at someone over his shoulder.

Sasuke turned around and stepped back. Gaara was standing there looking daggers at him, the deadly look arousing the memory of waking up in an alley way. He returned the look full force which cause Gaara to smile slightly. Gaara stepped into the room and took up the handles of the chair to steer it out of the building.

"Naruto," he said in a deep gruff growl, "don't make me kill him."

Naruto sighed. "Well, if you end up having to just make sure that you do it when I'm not looking. I would hate to have to hunt him down again and take care of him."

Neji smiled, a purely evil smile at Sasuke before following Gaara out of the door. Sasuke brought up the rear and carried the little duffle that Neji had brought with Naruto's cloths. He shuddered at the thought of what Gaara was capable of.

They walked out of the hospital and Gaara pushed the chair over to his Aston.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Sasuke said. "My car is over there. I'm taking Naruto home."

Gaara turned and cast another of his looks at Sasuke before bending down and lifting Naruto in his arms, easily.

"Gaara, I am full able to get from the chair to the car without help!" Naruto exclaimed at the show of power.

"If you don't quit squirming, I'm going to drop you," he said. Then set he in the seat and buckled the belt, with Naruto protesting the whole time. He straightened, nodded to Neji, and went to his side to slid into the car. The growl of the engine sounded before he pulled out of the lot.

Sasuke ran to his car and followed with Neji right behind him. They followed Gaara through the street and into a garage next to Club Suna.

"What the HELL?" Sasuke demanded watching as Gaara made his way around to the passenger door, opened it, and lifted a confused Naruto back into his arms. Gaara remained silent as he effortlessly carried her into the elevator, Neji slid in then waved as the doors closed. Sasuke swore as he realized that he had been left behind. He pushed the call button and had to wait for five minutes until it came back down.

The elevator opened up into a large studio apartment that was decorated in neutral colors and browns and tans. All elegantly put together in a comfortable setting. He stepped out of the elevator looking around. He saw Naruto settled onto a couch with a bunch of pillows behind her. Gaara was in the kitchen pouring some orange juice into a glass. Temari and Konkuro were sitting in leather chairs facing her and talking all at once.

"Shit, Naruto, leave it to you to not do anything half way." Konkuro was saying. "But I'm glad that you're okay. What happened?"

"I don't really know. I was going to the marina to visit with some friends from work and the brakes in my car went out. I tried to stop but…well, I guess I did stop. The police told me this morning when they came by for a statement that the car was stuck in some trees." Naruto smiled and waved a nonchalant hand. "I guess it couldn't handle flying very well."

"This isn't funny," Temari snarled. "You could have been killed. When Gaara told us that you were in the hospital…well, it wasn't a pretty sight. At least he had the good sense to bring you here so that we can take care of you."

"Oh, Temari, when you hear what I have to tell you, you're going to want to kill her anyway," Neji said accepting a glass from Gaara as he passed and handed one to Naruto before taking a seat at her feet. They both looked to the elevator where Sasuke was still standing.

Noticing their looks they turned. Konkuro came out of his seat but was caught by Temari.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Konkuro demanded. Sasuke settled his usual impassive look into place and stepped forward going the long way around to reach Naruto's side. He ignored the question and looked down at Naruto who looked up at him.

"Naruto has this brilliant idea that she is going to go to Uchiha's house and let him take care of her," Neji said sarcastically, then looked at Gaara. "Do you have anything to go in this? I think I'm going to need it." Gaara reached over to the side table, which turned out to be a mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of vodka. He handed it to Neji who poured a generous portion into the glass.

"What?" Temari gasped and looked to Naruto for confirmation.

Naruto reached up and scratched the back of her head in a nervous gesture. She pulled out a fake smile and glued it into place.

"Um, I think that it's the best arrangement since everyone here either has school or works during the day. And Sasuke can drive me to work and back starting Monday, for a few days at least. And it has to be at his house because his brother needs him there." Naruto explained.

"Oh, oh, absolutely not!" Temari exclaimed. "No, no, you will stay here and allow us to take care of you."

"No, you and Konkuro have the bar, and since Konkuro is playing again, Gaara has to handle the door and you're open until the wee hours of the morning. I couldn't be a burden to you so this is the best situation."

Sasuke let the by play roll over him because he knew that Naruto would win this argument.

"But…"

"She's right," Gaara interrupted.

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Naruto snuggled down into the soft leather sofa waiting for Sasuke to return. He had gone up to check on his brother and to dismiss the nurse that he had asked to come over for the day. She pulled the fleece blanket up so that it covered her mouth and tucked it around her.

She hear Sasuke's footsteps on the stairs just as the phone rang.

"Yes, this is he…Yes…Really…okay…Thank you for calling." Sasuke hung up and came into the room. "That was the police; it seems that your brakes were cut. They want you to come down to the station tomorrow and make a statement."

Naruto frowned on confusion. "My brakes were cut, but who would do that?"

"That's probably what the police will be asking." Sasuke's voice had deepened with the worry he felt for Naruto. He pulled the lazy chair closer to the couch and sat down leaning forward so that he was close to her. "Well, let go over everything you can remember about Friday." Sasuke pulled out a small notebook from his pocket and flipped the cover open.

"Oohh, Mr. Detective, can I play with your notebook," Naruto purred in mockingly seductive mole tones.

"Later, you can play with anything you want," Sasuke grinned then began the Q & A session.

They covered everything from what she had eaten that morning for breakfast to her last memory of trying to stop the car.

"So it was a last minute decision to go to the marina and meet with Sasame?" Sasuke said. "Was there anyone else there when she asked you?"

"Well, I remember seeing Karin's door shut when I went back to work but I didn't think anything of it. Why would Karin want to hurt me?" Naruto asked.

"Hmm…." Sasuke didn't respond he just wrote the information down. "And you didn't see anything amiss while in the parking area?"

"No."

"Mm…" Sasuke hummed, "not much to go on, hopefully the police can connect some dots or have more evidence."

"Yeah, it's kind of like what happened in school two years ago," she groused then flipped the covers off because she was beginning to feel very warm.

"That's right. Someone pushed you into the pool then left a road-killed cat in your locker. Perhaps those things are related to this now?" Sasuke took Naruto's hand a started playing with her fingers.

Sasuke ran his fingers up and down her causing goose bumps to develop over her arms and down her thighs. Her breath sped up a little and her mind grew fuzzy.

"Do you know how much I want to fuck you right now?" Sasuke murmured, as he brought her hand to his mouth and drew her middle finger into the deep wet recesses of his mouth.

Naruto shuddered but remained quiet under the influence of his tongue as it licked lightly at the pad of her finger. He worked it in and out in a blatant imitation of the act before he released it and kissed the inside of her wrist. Naruto loosed a tiny whine her body heating up rapidly.

"Until the doctor releases you from his orders then I'm going to have to refrain from making you do any strenuous activities so for now. He knelt between her legs on the floor and pulled her down, splaying her legs open. He unzipped the pants watching Naruto's eyes darkening to a turbulent blue that reminded him of the ocean during a storm.

The low sexy noises that were coming from her throat egged him on and he pulled the pants down as far as then would go. He grinned then moved back so that he could whip them from her long, long legs. He made quick work of her panties then repositioned himself back where he was. He lowered his head until he could breathe in the spicy sent of her. He inhaled then blew out across the wet center of her causing another moan.

"Sasuke." Naruto cried out as his mouth settled over her. She bucked her hips trying to get more of the sensations that he was wringing from her. He licked at the bud causing liquid lightening to rush through her, then he suckled it and the lightening changed to fire. The pressure built up inside of her and her body when hot the cold as her orgasm neared. But Sasuke wouldn't let her go yet. When she got close he pulled back and ran his hands over her messaging her breast the plucking at her nipples only to begin again.

Naruto's head spun as she cycled higher and higher.

Sasuke moved one of his hands down to the hot slit that was weeping for him. He soaked his fingers in the sap then pushed at the entrance. The tightness came as a surprise and he lifted his head.

"You're still a virgin?" he asked hoarsely his finger still pushing into her.

"Yes," Naruto bit out between pants. "Please, Sasuke, don't stop now."

"Oh, darling, I'm not about to stop, but this puts things into a whole new ball game." Sasuke went back to her. His head filling with plans of everything he had wanted to do to her and everything he was going to do with her.

He gently worked his finger in and out going deeper until her felt the barrier that proclaimed her virginity. He smiled and pulled out he wasn't going to break it yet he wanted to do that a different way.

The nimble fingers gathered the juice and pulled it lower until he could feel the tight ring of muscle. Her anal cavity was a virgin also but it didn't have a barrier so he began working his fingers around messaging and rocking them into her.

Naruto cried out as Sasuke's finger pushed into her. "No!" She tried to pull away but Sasuke held her firmly.

"Relax," he comforted holding her still with one hand as he worked the finger deeper.

"Hn," Naruto panted trying to become accustomed to the foreign sensation. She whimpered at the stretching sensation that was growing uncomfortable. Then the pressure lessened as Sasuke withdrew.

He pulled out, scooped up more of the free flowing liquid, and pushed back into her.

"You might be telling me 'no' but your body is saying something else," he whispered then went back to licking her clit, feeling her body jerk.

Naruto tensed up as he pushed into her with his hand going deeper each time but as she neared climax she felt her muscles melt then she flew over the edge unable to hold onto each individual action as they merged into one, riding a fine edge of pleasure and pain.

She would have screamed but Sasuke's hand came over her mouth as the first noise emerged and the sound was muffled. She bucked her hips and writhed on the couch as she soared into heaven. She was panting heavily as she floated to earth, Sasuke petting her in a calming manner and kissing the inside of her thigh.

"That was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen," he told her when her eyes fluttered tiredly open. "But I think that we might have over done it. You're exhausted so let's get you to bed." He stood then lifted her into his arms. He carried her to his room, and tucked her in. He kissed her brow lightly before dimming the light and leaving.

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REVIEW TIME, please let me know what you think so that I am excited about writing. You're the people I'm writing for, it I don't hear from you then I don't know if you like it and want me to continue.

AND to my faithful fans I dedicate this chapter to you may your dreams be sweet and my your fantasies blessed.

ZEN


	21. Chapter 21

Thanks everyone for the FABULOUS review. You all make it so that I want to write more and the more reviews I get the more I want to write! Win WIN for everyone!

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Sasuke moved into the room that held his brother and the many monitors that were hooked up to him. Everyday Itachi lost a little more ground in his fight for survival. As Sasuke moved up to the bed he looked down at the once strong figure of his brother. Now Itachi was emaciated because he was unable to eat and gained what nourishment from a tube, and Sasuke knew that there was little time left.

He sat in the seat next to the bed and took up the limp hand that was pale and thin.

"Naruto's here, Itachi, I think I finally get to have that second chance you mentioned. I promise that I won't mess this up; my heart wouldn't be able to take it." Sasuke talked to his brother not expecting a response. Itachi had nearly lost that ability. "There's so many things that I want to do with her by my side, so many sights to see. I want to show her that place on the river that you and I used to go to in order to get away from our relatives, you know the place, where the ducks come every year. I want to show her the park in the winter, stand on the bridge and hold her as we wait for spring." Sasuke sighed and leaned back in the chair.

"I look into her eyes and I can see a future, something that I haven't been able to do with anyone else. Do you know that she has the most gorgeous eyes that I have ever seen? I can see the sky, the sea, and the wind in her eyes." Sasuke laughed to himself.

"I'm waxing poetic, something that an Uchiha has never been accused of. I can hear out uncle now. 'Sasuke, an Uchiha must never show emotions, they are a weakness that will be exploited.' But since I have met Naruto, I haven't been able to contain them and they just flow out."

"She's a gifted programmer, and a wonderful singer. She had tons of friends and makes them easily so I don't see why someone wants to hurt her or even kill her. Things just don't seem to add up right. I'm terrified that I won't be able to protect her. God, Itachi, I love her so much."

Sasuke stood and placed the hand back onto the bed then left the room dimming the light too a minimum. His heart felt heavy and he wasn't sure how he was going to cope when it came time to finally say good-bye to his brother.

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"Crap!" Naruto muttered as the program froze up again. She muttered as she pulled up the script and began reading through it to find where the commands were countering each other. It was the sixth time that day and she had erased more commands than she had written. She was snarling under her breath as she flipped through page after page of writing.

"Hey, Naruto, how about we take a break and get some lunch?" Sasame was saying as she came up behind her.

Naruto glanced up and sighed. "Can't. Sasuke said he was going to come by and we'd go out to a little restaurant he knows."

"Sasuke Uchiha? The boss man himself?" Sasame asked as her eyes nearly bulged, her mouth dropping open.

"Yes, the Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto grinned at the look of shock on her co-workers face. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "As a matter of fact he should…" She trailed off as Sasuke strode into the office area right on time.

"Oh, okay, I'll see you later," Sasame said as she made a quick get away. The Uchiha intimidated the hell out of her anytime he was in the vicinity so she avoided him like the plague.

"You ready?" Sasuke asked as he helped her up from her seat. He was still treating her like she was still wounded, and it was beginning to annoy Naruto. The doctor had pronounced her fit yesterday but Sasuke hadn't made a move on her since. She was growing worried that he might have lost interest in her.

"Sasuke!" Karin's voice called out. She had just opened her door to leave for lunch when she saw him standing in the isle. "Oh, Sasuke, just the person I so wanted to see. Let's go and have some lunch together and we can discuss what you came over here to discuss." She was practically purring and wrapping her self around his ankles. Naruto could even see the dim outline of a tail waving in the air.

"I didn't come here to see you, Karin," Sasuke said, his face had reverted back to an impassive mask. "I came to pick Naruto up, so that we could go and have lunch together."

Naruto had to hand it to Karin, her face twitched but she didn't show any outward sign the what Sasuke had just told her blew every plan she had to get her claws into him out of the water. Naruto looked away trying her best to not jump with glee and hug Sasuke.

"Oh, well then I won't keep you. Have a nice lunch," Karin brushed passed but not before Naruto saw the hate in her eyes.

She knew instinctively that when she got back her life was going to become a living nightmare. Karin was going to do everything under the sun to either get her to quit or dump Sasuke. Naruto was going to have to use the time to gird her loins for the coming battle, so to speak.

Lunch with Sasuke became one of her most treasured experiences. He took them to a little café where they bought a couple of sandwiches and soda, and then he took her to a nearby park. Taking her hand he led her off the trail and through a small forest of tress into a clearing where the river that spit the park in two widened to a meandering flow.

There a mother duck was floating with her tiny ducklings. They hadn't even lost their yellow down they were still so young. It was so picturesque that Naruto trying to memorize the scene so that she wouldn't forget it. One of the babies reached out and nipped at the tail of another causing it to quake in dismay until the mother came over to see what was happening to the distressed sibling. She quacked at the troublemaker then soothed the other.

Naruto laughed at the antics. Sasuke watched her enjoy the moment as they ate their lunch. Naruto was so open and honest that it was refreshing for Sasuke especially after having dealt with a board of directors whose only thought was how they could earn more money for themselves.

"This is awesome, Sasuke," Naruto said turning to him, her sky blue eyes shining with joy. "Can we come back tomorrow?"

"Yes," Sasuke said as he finished off his sandwich, "but there was somewhere else I wanted to take you. I guess that it can wait…"

"Really? Where?" Naruto's curiosity began to get the better of her.

"It's a surprise, and will have to wait if you still want to come back here tomorrow," Sasuke teased, his mouth twitching as he watched Naruto get excited.

"Oh, um, that's okay we can come back another day, I'll let you show me what you want to tomorrow," she clapped her hands together like a small child, in her excitement to see where Sasuke was going to take her tomorrow. If it was anything like this then she really wanted to see it.

"Alright, we come back here next week then," Sasuke agree in a reluctant tone. Grinning at how easy it had been to sway Naruto into doing what he wanted.

"Good." She leaned back on her forearms and raised her face to the sun, eyes closing.

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"Naruto!' Karin's angry voice rang out above the cubicles. She was standing at her open door way with hands on hips, her dark brown eyes glaring at her from behind her glasses.

Naruto jerked up hands splaying across the keyboard and making a dozen letters and symbols to march across her screen. "Shit!" she muttered quickly lifting her hand and fumbling with the mouse to clear the data that wasn't supposed to be there.

"Sasuke Uchiha isn't paying you to sit there and day dream, no matter how many blow jobs you give him on your lunch breaks." Karin snarled.

Naruto's face went tomato red with humiliation at what Karin had just announced to the whole office. She could hear some people snickering and clenched her hands into fist wishing that she could just once use it to smash Karin's foul mouth in. She heard the office door close and let her head drop onto her desk. She breathed in and out in slow breath trying to keep her temper in check.

"You need to say something to her," Sasame said coming up to the desk with a stack of papers. "This could be considered harassment."

"Yeah, but…" Naruto knew that Sasame was right. She stood and made her way to the office door. She knocked.

"Come in."

Naruto squared her shoulders and pushed the door open. Karin was sitting behind her desk and looked up in annoyance as Naruto came in. Naruto closed the door behind her because she had a feeling that this was going to get ugly.

"Karin, what you said out there was…"

"Oh, Naruto, you're such a little girl. Can't take a little criticism? Are you going to run to Sasuke?" Karin mocked her voice snide. "Let's just get one thing straight. Sasuke doesn't care, you're just a little diversion to him and he will soon move on."

"Karin, you're comments are bordering on harassment," Naruto growled ignoring the little quip that Karin had delivered.

Karin smirked at her. "Hmm, you think so? I guess I'll have to tone it down some." She waved a hand dismissively. "I guess since you're now Sasuke's new pet then you have some power but don't let it go to your head. Sasuke's infatuated now. I've seen it happen more than once. He'll take you to places that he says are special to him and he wants to share them with just you but don't think that you're the only one he's taken to them."

"Fine, I'm glad we have an understanding," Naruto said meaning about Karin not harassing her anymore. She dismissed everything else. She turned and left the office, made her way through the cubicles and to the restroom where she leaned against the counter and tried to quit trembling.

"Naruto, are you okay?" Sasame said coming in.

"I'm fine," Naruto muttered and ran her hand under some cold water the patted the back of her neck to cool off.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sasame asked.

Naruto shook her head. She knew that Sasame was trying to be friends but Naruto wasn't feeling up to a confession session with the woman. "I just would like to be alone for a few minutes." She looked up and startled at the look Sasame gave her. In a blink the look was gone and she thought that she had imagined the rage in Sasame's eyes.

"Okay, Naruto." Sasame smiled and left.

Naruto relaxed, pulling herself together, and returning to her cubicle.

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Make me write more. Leave a Review!

Oh, and I do apologize if there are any spelling or grammar errors. My proofreader has gone on the fritz and refuses to read until I buy her some hair dye. So again I apologize but hope you like the story anyways.

Love You ALL

ZEN


	22. Chapter 22

Okay, another update!. I'm thinking that I'm getting to the end of this story but the flow has picked up and I hope that it continues! So enjoy the next chapter! and LEAVE A REVIEW YA'LL!

I'm usually ahead in the chapters so I get to update quickly and I love giving double chapters. Lets see if you can double the reviews. Ranma-sama-you get a new one for the FASTEST review!.

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"It's okay, Sasuke," Naruto was saying into the phone. "I just need to run by the house and pick up a couple changes of clothes."

"Then let me drive you?" Sasuke was saying, Naruto could hear the concern in his voice.

"Seriously, I'm fine on my own. I'll only by about an hour." She cleared her desk of papers and pencils with one swipe of her arm letting everything fall into the drawer she held open.

"Okay, one hour or I'm coming after you," Sasuke agreed.

Naruto hung up and quickly swung her jacket around her shoulders. She picked up the bag that held her laptop then left the office. She drove home with extra care; she had borrowed a car from Sasuke since hers was still being held by the police.

She opened the front door of her house and made her way through it in the dark going straight to her room to gather her clothes up. She pulled out an old duffle bag that she had used when she was younger and was spending the night somewhere. She reached into the dresser for underwear, nightgown, and t-shirts. She went to the closet and was reaching in to get her slacks when a hand came around her mouth effectively cutting off any sound she may have made.

Another banded around her chest holding her still. The arms were strong and muscular letting her know that her attacker was a man. He was breathing harshly into her ear.

"Hmm. You're much prettier than I was led to believe." The man said his voice low and grating.

Naruto struggled to get free but he was too strong. She dropped her weight like the instructor had said to do when she had taken the defensive training class, but the man just tighted his hold on her.

"I already know that trick, it won't work with me." He began to push her toward the bed. Naruto tried to dig in with her feet and legs but couldn't find perchase on the carpet with her pumps still on. She tried to kick him with the heels but he dropped her to the floor and landed on top of her.

"You're full of nasty tricks aren't you, little girl. But I'm not getting paid to get hurt. I'm getting paid to do the hurting. But you smell so nice and feel so good that I'm going to play for a bit before we get to the hurting."

With his weight on top of her, she wasn't able to move which left him free to let his hands roam over that which he could reach. She felt him tugging at her clothing and the cool feel of metal as he used a knife to cut through her jeans. She whimpered but his hand stayed where it was over her mouth.

He pushed at the jean and her panties uncovering her ass. Then he shifted his attention to his own jeans. He fumbled with the button.

Terror was filling Naruto's soul, she tried to think passed the fuzzy haze that was over taking her. She pushed and bucked trying to dislodge him or to loosen his grip on her so that she could scream.

Suddenly the man stilled, and lay on top of her quietly. Naruto heard it. There was a knocking coming from the front door.

"I'm going to let your mouth go but if you scream, you're dead and whoever is at the door is next. Do you understand?" he asked.

Naruto nodded then gasped as he jerked her to her feet.

"We are going to go answer the door. You're going to get rid of whoever is at the door or they will die." He roughly pulled a robe out and handed it to her.

She pushed her arms through the sleeves and closed it. She was shaking with fear as she made her way to the door. Opening it, she trembled even more. Sasuke was standing in front of her looking concerned.

"Oh, hi," Naruto mumbled racking her brain. How was she going to get rid of him? She couldn't let him get hurt.

"What's wrong, why did it take you so long to answer the door?" Sasuke asked as he watched her. She was pale and trembling.

"I—I have a migraine, Sasuke. So I'm just going to stay here tonight and rest." Naruto lied.

"Okay, I'll call Madara…"

"No! Please Sasuke, I just would like to be alone right now. So please go home. I'll see you tom—morrow." Naruto whimpered. She closed the door on his startled face.

Sasuke stood staring at the closed portal then a flash of anger rushed through him. He raised his hand about to pound of the door but dropped it to his side.

"Fuck it," he snarled and turned away from the door. He stamped down the steps and then made his way to the car he had parked on the street. He shoulders slumped and he breathed out the last of the anger.

She hadn't said anything about having a headache when he had called her earlier. She had sounded happy, nearly excited. But he knew that women had mood swings and wondered if it was that time of the month. She really didn't look like she was sick. She looked more like she was…

"GOD DAMN IT," he roared spinning around.

He heard a crash coming from the house. He sprinted back up the steps and tried the door. It was locked. A high shout came from inside as well as another loud noise like a table splintering. He raised his foot and sent it into the door with all of his strength. The door popped open and slammed against the wall inside.

He ran inside and looked around. He saw an end table splintered on the floor and Naruto lying next to it. There was a deep gash in her forearm and a shadow hovering over her.

Sasuke yelled at the man then putting his head down he charged the shadow. They flew up and over the couch landing with a solid thump on the other side. Sasuke was on the bottom but that didn't stop him from pummeling the guy on top of him. The man sent a stunning blow to Sasuke jaw causing him to see stars. Then the man's weight was gone.

Sasuke jumped to his feet to see the shadow running out of the house. He would have followed but a low whimper filtered into his rage filled mind. He halted in mid step to see Naruto clutching her bloody arm. He moved to her side, while pulling out his cell phone and dialing nine-one-one. He relayed the information that someone had broken into Naruto's house and had attacked her. The operator said that she had dispatched the police and an ambulance to the address he gave her.

"It's alright, Naruto, he's gone," Sasuke murmured lifting her against him. He sat there holding her while she cried.

"He was going to rape me," Naruto said in a broken voice. "He said he was going to play."

"Hush, it's okay, he's gone,' Sasuke felt tears pick his eyes but blinked them back. It wasn't going to help matters if he broke down too.

Ten minutes later the police were coming through the door then a couple of paramedics. The police asked questions while Naruto's arm was being looked at and bandaged. The guy had come out while she was packing clothing. From the story Naruto told it sounded like the man had been hired to scare and possibly kill Naruto. It was another puzzle piece that didn't match up anywhere.

The paramedics were ready to take Naruto to the hospital to have the gash in her arm sewn up. Sasuke jumped into the ambulance refusing to let Naruto out of his sight. The paramedics didn't argue, instead they shut the doors and headed off.

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"I swear, Naruto," Kiba was saying as he paced back and forth in front of the couch where she was resting. Hinata had taken a seat next to Naruto and was peeling an apple and slicing it into little quarters in calm serenity. She was glowing with health and Naruto thought that married life was agreeing with her. But Kiba was beginning to remind her of the rabid dog she had seen as a kid.

He was snarling and snapping at everyone, well, no everyone; mostly just Sasuke. The man in question was sitting in a leather seat watching the other man in amusement.

Naruto's arm was wrapped from elbow to wrist in white gauze. The man had stabbed her with the knife when she had swung around trying to land a punch in his jaw. The wound had left a deep slice about six inched long. The doctor had stitched it up and gave her a tetanus shot before letting Sasuke take her home.

She had called Kiba when Sasuke had settled her back on the couch once again to let him know that she was fine. Heaven forbid that she let him hear about it from another. He had called Neji to let him know but thank goodness Neji had been in school and couldn't get away. As it was, Naruto was dreading Gaara and his siblings when they found out.

"Every time Neji or I aren't around your getting into trouble," Kiba groused then stopped with arms akimbo. "We need to higher a body guard for you. Some big, ugly guy with a million tattoos, who looks like a bull dog. But he's going to need to have some brains so that you don't wrap him around your finger." Kiba was pulling his phone out to do just that when Hinata took the phone gently from his fingers and gave him a kiss on the lips.

Naruto laughed at the look that came over Kiba as he melted and relaxed into Hinata.

"You're so easy," Naruto said when Kiba moved with his wife to her seat.

"Yeah, that's why she likes me," he muttered in good humor. "But I'm serious. You need protection of whoever is after you are going to succeed."

"I agree, completely," Sasuke said leaning forward and bracing his forearms on his knees.

"Guy, you are making a big deal out of nothing." Naruto said. "Besides if I am locked up here or given a body guard then the person who's doing these things won't try anything. And if they don't try something then we may never know who it is. If Sasuke is right and it's tied to the events that happened while I was at that school then this person is very patient and it could take years for them to try something else." She looked up at the detective that was standing across the room listening silently to the conversation.

"We are going to create surveillance 'net' around her. If the perpetrator makes another move then we will know about it. Mr. Uchiha, we will place a few men inside the building where she works under the guise of being repairmen, and have a few people outside at all times. You will drive her from here to work and a car will follow you the whole way. This is the best that we can do. We don't want this person to get away any more that you do." The man said. He was in his mid thirties and was wearing a crumpled grey suit with a loose tie. He looked like his had one too many sleepless nights with a five o'clock shadow and dark circles under his eyes.

Sasuke nodded. He knew that they were right, it was best that they catch this person before anything more happened, but he was reluctant to put Naruto in danger. Reluctant, hell, he down right didn't want to do it. He didn't trust anyone else to see to her safety, but he wasn't being given a choice but to go along with the plans that were being made. Naruto wasn't the type of person to allow herself to be swathed in cotton and placed behind barriers. She was going to do just what she was doing now. Jump into the middle of danger.

"If anything happens to her," Kiba bit out, "I'm going to break every bone in both your bodies." He looked back and forth between the detective and Sasuke.

"I think that you just stole my line," Sasuke muttered feeling his shoulders droop a little in the face of defeat.

Naruto laughed while Hinata finished cutting up the apple. She handed half to Naruto and the other half she gave to Kiba who softened at the gesture.

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So what do you think, I like the interaction between Kiba and Hinata their so cute together. Let me know!

Have a GOOD EVENING!!! and I will hopefully update again soon!

ZEN


	23. Chapter 23

Another Update. Actually I'm going to be updating several times today. So sit back, and enjoy the story. Lots of action coming you way. I hope!!!!!!

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Three days later Naruto was back in the office. The attack had happened on Friday and it was another Monday. Sasuke had brought her to work, but instead of just dropping her off, he had brought his laptop and was intending to work from here. He had made arrangements to let everyone know that for the time being he was working from the new building.

By lunch time, Naruto's arm was aching fiercely and she thought about gnawing it off just to get the pain over with. She opened the drawer and looked at the bottle of prescription painkillers but opted not the use one. It was only a dull ache and she had endured worse, hadn't she? She rotated her shoulders to work out a kink then went back to running the program, sighing as it ran through without any glitches. She had several more test to perform before they put through a test drive and it would take the rest of the week to run those tests.

"Hey, Naruto," Sasame said coming up with another stack of documents. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing okay. My arm is beginning to hurt like hell, and I'm having a hard time making it type what I want it to but other than that I'm good. Thank you for asking though." Naruto said smiling up at the woman.

"I'm glad you're alright," she said before taking herself off to copy the document in her arm.

"You ready to go?" Sasuke asked, coming up behind her.

She nodded, pushing a couple of key to lock the computer down and standing. Sasuke held her jacket as she worked her arms into it wincing slightly as the fabric pulled against her arm.

"Do you need a painkiller?" Sasuke asked seeing her flinch, worry lacing his voice.

"No, I'm fine, it just hurts a little but it's tolerable."

Her life settled into a routine, though she was impatient for whoever was trying to hurt her to make another move. She hated waiting, looking over her shoulder for the next near miss. There was a knot in the pit of her stomach from going over the what ifs. What if he or she succeeded or what if the didn't but someone else was hurt? What if Sasuke was hurt, or Kiba, or Neji?

The hardest part of the routine was waiting.

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Naruto had made a decision. She was going to seduce Sasuke to night. She was tired of waiting for him to take the next step. She was hungry and she felt like a demon fox had possession of her and was pacing back and forth inside its cage.

She dressed in a black and red lace teddy. She brushed her hair out into rich waves that framed her body. She had applies a light amount of make up bringing out her eyes and the red lipstick she hoped would produce imaged of her mouth wrapped around him. She smiled at the mirror and wished the image happy hunting.

Sasuke was lying on the bed reading a business magazine, or at least he was pretending to read. He could hear Naruto moving about in the bathroom and wondered about what she was doing because it was taking her a long time.

The bathroom door opened bringing with it a heaven sent fallen angel. The woman before him was every bit the seductress that she wanted to be. Sasuke felt himself become hard in an instant, if there had been a record for instant erections he was sure he would have broken it right then. The magazine was thrown across the room and he was standing in front of Naruto the next second.

Naruto smiled at him, a little insecure, but she was feeling much better now that she had seen his reaction to her efforts.

Sasuke swallowed convulsively then lifted his hand to caress the softness of her cheek and neck. He cupped his hand around the back of her head and pulled her into him, kissing her fiercely ravishing her mouth.

"God, Naruto, your going to kill me," he said when he pulled back. He took her hand and pulled it to his groin. "Feel me."

Naruto shifted her hand so that she could feel the whole length of him through his boxers. She then followed it up until her hand dipped below the elastic of his shorts and she could inspect the velvety skin that covered the shaft of steel. Her breath panted out of her as she stroked the heat of him. A little trepidation filled her at the size of him.

She wanted to ask if it would fit, or to exclaim at the length of it, the width of him. She wanted to say something but was fearful that he might take it the wrong way so she kept quiet.

Sasuke couldn't stand her touch for long and he tossed her onto the bed following her down as he shifted so that he could return the favor. His had pulled the tiny band that ran between her legs aside and grazed the hood of her clit. He could feel how wet she had gotten just by touching him and he used it to his advantage to produce more of the pearly liquid.

Her breath faltered in her chest and hitched as he rocked the little nub.

"Sa—Sasuke, please, don't make me wait anymore," she pleaded.

"I won't," he rasped and took her lips again.

He slowly removed pulled the straps of the teddy down with one hand then pushing down and over her hips until she kicked it off. He cupped her breast in one hand and brushed his thumb across her nipple making it hard as a pebble. He kissed his way down, licking the nerves that ran behind her ear causing her to shudder and moan. She fisted her hands into his hair as he found the little pebble and sucked it deep into his mouth. His tongue teasing it. He brought her to orgasm quickly and loved the little scream she tried to suppress as her back arched.

The rush of fluid prompted him to settle between her legs. She reached down and helped guide him into the center of her being. He took her ankles and puller her legs so that they rested over his shoulders and looked down at her.

"I'm sorry but I can't be gentle about this right now. I wanted to but I'm too far gone," he whispered regretfully.

"It's okay," Naruto said smiling up at him. "I'm fully prepared and…God…Sasuke, please…" she trailed off feeling him enter her.

He pushed forward and through the barrier, hearing her cry out, but kept going until he was fully seated in her. He stilled to let her adjust to him. He looked down into Naruto's eyes and saw a bit of the pain she was feeling but she was smiling.

"You feel so good," she whispered and rocked her hips up.

"N—Naruto, stay still for a minute more," he begged.

"Can't."

She lifted her hips again and moaned low in her throat, the sound shattered Sasuke control and he began to move.

Her breath broke of the gentleness in which he took her. She moaned at the slow withdrawal and even slower return. His thickness touched every nerve in her passage making her wetter. She writhed under him following his rhythm easily.

He leisurely brought her to climax. It was so gradual that she wasn't aware of it until it hit her fully. She was riding high with the pleasure one moment and falling over the cliff the next into a deep abyss of ecstasy.

He felt her tense then the pulsing waves of her orgasm begin to suck at his shaft milking it. His lips quirked up as his pace quickened, and ratcheted her orgasm into a higher one. He listened in satisfaction as her moaning became a keening and his dick throbbed with the release he refused to give into.

He reached between them and found the tiny hard bud and rubbed it in time with his love making.

Naruto screamed as another orgasm tore through her. She couldn't contain it.

The scream was Sasuke's undoing and he came in a rush of semen and rapture. He closed his eyes as he hips jerked in reaction to the pleasure that had just rushed through him. He had never felt such an intense orgasm and he yelled along with her.

Sasuke collapsed on top of Naruto and immediately made to roll off of her so he didn't crush her with his weight, but she held onto him.

"Stay," she murmured drowsily, her body loving the feel of him. They were both covered with fine dew and she lazily drew circles over his back. She loved the solidness of him on top of her, loved the way his skin felt under her hands, and loved him.

Her chin was tucked into his shoulder so he didn't see the secret little grin that appeared on her lips. She closed her eyes and let sleep take her as that thought lulled her into dreams.

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"Sasuke!" Naruto huffed as she pulled a t-shirt from the drawer. She glanced at it and noticed that it was his but shrugged and pulled it on. It was long and fell down to mid thigh on her but she loved the softness of it. It also held his scent, a mixture of his cologne and the earthiness of man. "Sasuke, were going to be late if you don't hurry."

She knocked on the bathroom door and stamped her foot in a sudden show of aggravation. She went back to the bureau and pulled out a pair of jeans that she steeped into. She was wriggling her hips tugging the waistband into place when Sasuke's hand slipped in to fondle her ass. She giggled and bounced away from him.

"Don't you think five times is enough?" she asked as she finished doing the pants up.

"Not hardly, I've been waiting to do those things to you for a long time," Sasuke said as he dressed then grinned when he noticed that she was wearing one of his shirts. She looked sexy in the white T. It was light enough as to cling to her in all the right places. "You look fantastic in my shirt."

"You don't mind?"

"No, I can't wait to take it off of you though." He laughed as she stuck her tongue out. "Be careful or I will use that tongue for something other than insulting me."

They finally made it out of the house when Naruto remembered that she had promised to bring her guitar so she had to run in for it. Sasuke was leaning against the car when she came back out. She gently slid the guitar case into the back seat then they were on their way.

Within fifteen minutes they were pulling up to the park and Naruto bounced out of the car. She ran to embrace her friends; she hadn't seen them for so long. Ino was showing off the engagement ring that she had gotten from Sai and for once Sakura was happy for her.

"Wow," Naruto exclaimed as she studied the diamond, there was a very artistic scroll work that swirled around the diamond, it was so beautiful.

"I know," Ino squealed. "We went to that new restaurant that over looked the river. Sai had arranged for a table to be set up out on a balcony. The stars were shining so brightly and the boats below were lit up. It was so beautiful and then he proposed!" Ino's light blue eyes were sparkling with joy. Sai walked up behind her and drew her into his chest wrapping his arms around her.

"She said yes," he said simply as if that explained everything he was feeling and Naruto guessed that it did because she hadn't seen either one look happier.

Kiba was manning a grill filled with hamburgers while Hinata organized the food on a picnic table nearby so that it would be easier to get to. Akamaru was laying in the shade of the table gazing longingly at the meat that Kiba was burning to perfection.

Shikamaru was talking to Temari and Naruto hadn't seen the boy more animated than he was right that minute. Konkuro was playing catch with Neji, both of them receiving hot looks from girls that had set up shop ten feet from the two, watching them. Ten Ten had pulled out a deck of card and was thoroughly trouncing Lee in a game of spades along with Shino. And Chouji had joined Akamaru in staring at the food that Kiba was cooking, a little drool running from the corner of his mouth.

Naruto grasped Sasuke's hand and pulled him with her as she made the rounds to talk with each of her friends. They had gotten used to him in the time that she had been staying at this house and had warmed up. They were willing to give him a second chance as long as he made Naruto happy.

The day was sunny and warm, and with the company of her friend she was able to relax and place her worries on the back burner of her mind and just enjoy. She played card with Ten Ten and Sasuke and laughed when Ten Ten lost, much to the girl's annoyance.

"I think you cheated," she exclaimed.

"You dealt the card," Sasuke pointed out, "I don't see how I could have cheated."

Ten Ten snorted then reshuffled the cards. "Rematch!"

As the sun sank behind the horizon, Naruto stood up to go to the restroom. Sasuke stood to join her interrupting a conversation with Neji about business law that she hadn't paid much attention to. Naruto waved him back down.

"I'm just going to be a few minutes," she rolled her eyes at him.

Sasuke looked around the park but didn't see anyone he nodded and sat back down to continue the discussion.

Naruto walked quickly up the path that led to the small stalls that house the men and women's bathrooms. She finished quickly and washed her hands. With her head down she didn't see the shadow that came up behind her until it was too late. She felt movement behind her and looked into the mirror her eyes widening before falling closed at the blow that knocked her unconscious.

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Leave a review if you want, but other wise next update come now!


	24. Chapter 24

Naruto's eyes fluttered open then closed with a groan at the newest ache in her head. She was getting sick and tired of having her head hurt, feeling the surge of anger rise up in her as her memory filtered back into her head.

She was tied to a chair with ropes that prickled and chaffed her tender skin but she tested them to see how much play she had, which was none. She twisted her wrists to try and gain some looseness but did nothing more than cause the roped to burn her.

"What they hell are you doing?" she asked to the darkness that created flickering shadows on the walls that surrounded her. She opened her eyes again but might was well have kept them closed for all the good it did her. All she could see was black and the even thicker contrast of the shadows.

The high hysterical laughter of someone who has finally rounded the bend reached her ears and she swung her head to the right. The mirth had come from that direction but there wasn't even the sense of movement.

"You're not looking so chipper anymore, are you?" the smooth female voice pronounced. The voice was distorted somewhat and it took Naruto a minute to understand why. The person was speaking through an intercom.

"Why don't you come in here and untie me. I'll show you personally how chipper I am," Naruto snarled at the intercom. The amusement of her captor filled the room again making Naruto's head hurt even more not to mention the fact that she was getting very pissed off.

"Very entertaining for someone who has no idea what I'm capable of."

Naruto clenched her jaw together and tried to think of some thing that would penetrate through to the person who held her.

"The police were watching me and I'm sure that they will be here any minute," Naruto said.

"I don't think so, you see my cousin sent them an anonymous tip saying that the Karin bitch was trying to purchase explosives, the personally kind." The cackling began again. "You see no one ever looks at the insignificant person that isn't noticed until it's too late. They don't look at the person who doesn't stand out, who everyone ignores."

"What are you talking about? I haven't ignored you," Naruto said.

She could feel the insidious shadow of fear creeping into her, she didn't imagine it the way it was described in shows, to her it was a thick tar like substance that dragged at her limbs. It was the destructive force that had trapped being even more powerful than her in its sticky puddles. It paralyzed her movements and fogged her brain. The more she tried to shake it off the more it pulled her in.

"But you have ignored me."

"How?"

"You don't remember me. Do you? Two years ago, a private school?"

"N—no, I don't remember you at the school, but then I wasn't there for very long and I didn't make friends there," Naruto answered honestly, though she knew that she had just made her captor even angrier.

"That's what I though, everyone ignored me. They had from the very start, but when you showed up. I though just maybe, since you didn't know me that we could be friends, but you didn't even see me. You were just like everyone else even though you claimed to be different, you were the worst of the hypocrites."

"Then I'm sorry," Naruto whispered, because she truly was if she had treated someone badly.

"I remembered seeing a movie when I was a little girl. It was about a little boy who one day stepped off the bus and fell over dead. No one knew who he was; he had been going to the same school with everyone on the bus since he was little but know one had paid any attention to him not even his parents. So he wished himself into non existence.

"Do you know what I felt seeing that movie?" the voice hissed.

"No, but I think that you probably felt like you were that boy."

"Not even close. I felt that that boy was the stupidest kid alive. Why should he have wanted to die just because no on knew he was there? He should have done something to make himself noticed.

"Well, I have things that I need to do in order to make preparations for the next phase of my plan." The voice disappeared and no matter what Naruto said, or screamed it didn't come back.

Naruto didn't know how long she sat in the darkness. It could have been minutes, hours, or even days, because she wasn't conscious of the time passing. The deprivation that she was feeling playing tricks on her mind. She thought that she heard shuffling noises, but nothing moved in the darkness.

Her fear fogged brain settled on one thing. _Thank goodness Sasuke and the others aren't here._ She could be grateful for small favors and she would be.

She continued to work at the bindings, shifting her wrists trying to loosen them. The robe bit into her flesh and she could feel the liquid warmth of blood running down her hands but she couldn't stop worrying at the rope. She had to get free somehow.

She heard a soft rustle behind her and turned her head to see who it was. She felt a brief pinch in her upper arm and the fogginess deepened and she drifted into unconsciousness again.

She woke again to find that she was lying on the cold concrete floor. She wasn't in the darkness anymore but in a room filled with white light and even whiter walls that were so close that claustrophobia could easily set in. No, it wasn't a room but a corridor that she was in. In front of her were a red arrow and a note.

Frowning darkly she opened the note.

_As a parting gift, if you can make you way out of my maze without finding me, then you are free. But if you do find me, then I will make you remember me for the rest of your short, insignificant life._

There wasn't a signature but Naruto didn't need one, she knew who was lying in wait for her in the maze. Naruto tore the note into little pieces and started walking. She reached the first intersection of the maze and took a right dropping a piece of the note on the floor in imitation of Hansel and his bread crump trail.

Naruto worked her way through the maze ever mindful of any noise, sound, scuffle that would alert her to anyone else in the maze, but it was quiet, so quiet that she began to wonder if she was alone.

The adrenaline that had been racing through her blood stream and giving her an extra boost was beginning to wear off and she found that she was bone tired. That without the drug induces mental alertness, she was sluggish and shaky. Her head hurt from being hit, and her wrists were a dried, sticky mess of blood. She leaned again a wall and rested for a minute before continuing.

She came to a dead end and had to backtrack and find a new route. She found three dead ends and four passages that took her in circles. She entered another passage and the wall changed, instead of the white walls, she was now walking through red checkered ones that gave the illusion that they were longer and she couldn't tell where the intersections were until she was upon them.

_Talk about Alice falling down a rabbit hole._

She came to an opening in the walls and found herself in a circular area that was filled with mirrors. She looked at the images of her personage in confusion. Now what?

"Now what?" she asked the room at large.

She made her way around the mirrors trying to find another way out, or a passage that would lead her some where else but there were no other openings. Then panic filled her; the passage she had come out of wasn't there either.

She pounded against the mirrors until the skin broke on her hands and left smears of blood against the glass surface. Tears filled her eyes as she began to realize that she wasn't going to see Sasuke again. Or anyone else for that matter. She was going to drown in a wave of self pity. She screamed then kicked the wall for good measure wanting to break the glass or at least crack it.

"Throwing a temper tantrum isn't going to help you," her captor sand out from directly behind her.

Naruto spun around and came face to face with the person who was going to, already had, taken her away from everything and everyone who meant the world to her. She looked into brown eyes that were sparkling maliciously, saw the evil grin on twisted lips and the flash of metal as the woman before her brandished a knife that had a blade at least six inches long.

"Sasame, why? Why are you doing this to me?"


	25. Chapter 25

"Sasame, why? Why are you doing this to me?" Naruto asked as her tears fell freely down skin that had become icy.

"I already told you," Sasame hissed. "You, who claimed to be better than everyone else, didn't acknowledge me." The woman advanced and leveled the knife into the air.

Naruto held up her hands and stepped back for every one that Sasame advanced. The continued the dance around the room and Naruto began to pray hard.

"Oh, what's this? Is the great Naruto Uzumaki scared? You should be because I'm not going to take any chances on you escaping from here alive," the crazy bitch said. Her voice had lowered to a snake like hissing, like her vocal cords had been taken over by a pit of cobras. "When I pushed you into the pool, and put that dead cat in you locker, I just wanted to scare you, to make you start looking around you a little more. But no, instead you turned to those that had ignored me all my life. Then you left and I was a little happier because thing returned to normal and I didn't have to look at your oblivious face."

"I'm sorry, Sasame, but I tried to be you friend. I want to be your friend now," Naruto said.

"But then you had to come back. You still had that holier than thou attitude, like you were better than every one else, nicer. I made you see me then, otherwise you would have went on your merry way; I made you talk to me. You saw me for the first time but you didn't know who I was and it was already too late for you."

"Please, Sasame, I thought that we were friends," Naruto trembled and shrank back from the upraised knife that seemed to be pointing an accusing finger at her.

"Too little, too late, because even now you really don't want me for a friend. You don't want to confide in me and you sent me away. Now I have to punish your selfish behavior."

Sasame rushed forward and Naruto stumbled falling to the ground. She felt the blade slice through the air and Sasame tumble over her. The blade went clattering across the floor and hit the bank of mirrors on the opposite side from them. Naruto scrambled for it on her hands and knees and was nearly there when a heavy weight slammed into her back. Hands grabbed at her hair clutching at it then slammed her head into the floor.

Stars immediately rushed up to take her vision and darkness clouded her eyes but she fought it. If she didn't remain awake now then she wouldn't wake up ever again. Naruto rolled to the side and sent her elbow into Sasame's solar plexus. She heard a satisfying grunt as the hands loosed slightly but didn't let go.

"Bitch!" Sasame screamed then jerked back on Naruto's hair pulling her head back. Sasame set her feet into Naruto's back and tried to break her neck using her hair.

Naruto screeched at the pain that of having her head pulled into such and angle but she twisted her body to relive the pressure at her neck. She reached up and grabbed the hands in her hair and set her nails into the skin. She dug in with all her might but Sasame was gone and didn't feel the pain.

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Sasuke looked up from his conversation with Neji feeling like something was wrong. He looked around the park and saw that Naruto wasn't there. He glanced at his watch, she had been gone ten minutes. He frowned then stood.

"What's wrong?" Neji asked seeing the look on his face.

"Naruto should have been back by now." He replied.

"Let's give her a few minutes more, you know how women are," Neji remarked but was feeling the same uneasiness.

"No, Naruto would have been back, she said only a few minutes and I know that she wouldn't go back on her words," Sasuke said setting off on the path that would take him to the bathrooms. Neji following on his heels.

"Where are you two going?" Kiba called out.

"Naruto's been gone too long we're going to see if we can find her," Neji called back.

Sasuke heard the rest of the gang following but paid then little attention. He cell rang and he reached into his pocket to dig it out and press the talk button.

"Uchiha, we just got an anonymous tip that Karin was seen buying explosives down by the docks. Is Naruto with you?" The detective asked.

"No, she went to the bathroom ten minutes ago and I'm heading there to find her." Sasuke muttered his mind only on one thing. Finding Naruto as soon as possible.

"I'm thinking that we were given a false trail but I've sent some men down to check it out. I've people in the parking lot and some on each of the entrances. But I have to tell you I don't think that Karin is behind these incidents there isn't any psychological background that would make her a suspect. Except for the bitchy selfishness, she's mentally sound."

Sasuke didn't say anything though he agreed with the detective's assessment of Karin.

"Oh, hold on," the detective said and Sasuke to hear the squawk of a radio in the back ground. "One of the men said that they saw Naruto being dragged into a white van. They are following now. I'll come and pick you up." The detective hung up and Sasuke turned to Neji, panic clearly written across his face.

"What?" Neji demanded.

"He's got Naruto." Sasuke began to run pushing through the group that was behind him and too the parking lot.

"Shit," he heard the shout behind him as well as someone, several someones, fallowing closely on his heels.

He reached the parking lot at the same time the detective pulled in. He jumped into the car then pulled to door shut as the detective roared off with sirens blazing.

"Here's the plan, we have gotten the number of the license plate and found that it is registered to an Arashi Fuma. We haven't gotten anything on his back ground but his cousin Sasame has some pretty disturbing things in her background. Killing animals and mutilating them, harassing some of her younger cousins and such. We're almost certain that she is the one behind it and she had somehow gotten then cousin, Arashi, involved." The detective explained as they took a corner nearly on two wheels.

"Two weeks ago, Arashi purchased some building supplies and rented a Warehouse down by the waterfront. That's where the van disappeared. We've obtained a search warrant so we won't have any problem going into the warehouse.

"I'm bringing you along as a courtesy so don't be thinking that you're going to be going with us. You just sit in the car and wait. I will bust you ass if you interfere with this operation," the detective intones darkly. "We will bring Naruto back to you, do you understand?"

Sasuke nodded.

They pulled up to the warehouse where several police vehicles were already parked, along with a couple of black vans proclaiming to be S.W.A.T. Men were pulling on Kevlar vests and helmets while others with like gear were being handed assault rifles.

"Detective Genma!" someone called out, "We've patched into the security cameras and we have visual on the inside of the warehouse. You need to see this!"

The detective strode up to a van with all kinds of electronics stuffed into it, Sasuke followed disobeying the order to remain in the car. He watched over the detectives shoulder to see Naruto and Sasame Fuma in some kinds of weird Fun house room of mirrors struggling on the floor.

Sasame had her hands in Naruto's hair and was trying to break Naruto's neck. Naruto twisted her supple body and was able to keep the orange haired woman from accomplishing her goal. He watched Naruto clasp her hands to Sasame's digging her nails it. It seemed to him that Sasame was beyond feeling anything that she had reverted to animal mode. Sasame began to pummel Naruto, kicking and biting wanting to kill Naruto with her bare hands. Naruto was blocking access to her head and received most of the blows to her chest and stomach.

"Okay we have visual confirmation and we are heading in now!" the detective began barking out orders and the men rushed to obey. They lined up outside the door with a group on each side. Genma pulled his foot back and sent it crashing into the door which gave way under the kick swinging inward. The men swarmed inside disappearing out of sight in the darkness of the building.

Sasuke turned his attention back to the monitors feeling helpless and weak. He wanted to be inside but he knew that the detective was right. If he tried anything he would just be in the way and Naruto would probably end up being killed because of his uselessness. He watched the monitor to see the police breaking off into smaller groups to search the building quickly.

He also watched as Naruto flipped the woman to the ground and straddled her stomach using her own fists to try and disable Sasame. They rolled around on the floor taking turns being on top and in control. Then he saw Sasame break off her attack and reaching out grab up a knife that he had failed to see.

She threatened Naruto with it, her mouth moving speaking then lifting the knife to bring it down into Naruto's chest. Everything seem to slow down as Sasuke watched with growing horror, he even heard someone shout distantly as the knife began it's descent.

Genma kicked open a panel and entered the room. He used his foot to remove the knife from the woman's grasp then pulled the woman from Naruto and onto the floor. He turned the struggling woman over to two subordinates and went to see to Naruto. He knelt where he was blocking the camera's view of Naruto in his examination. Then he reached for his radio and helped Naruto to her feet.

"Naruto is fine, minor injuries and a possible concussion but she is in one piece." Sasuke wilted slightly in relief but not completely. He wouldn't be able to relax until Naruto was in front of him, and he could touch her and make sure that she was alive with his own hands and eyes.

Genma led Naruto from the building holding her arms and helping her to stay upright. He frowned as she broke away from him and stumbled into Sasuke's arms.

"Sasuke, oh god, Sasuke, I was so scared, I was sure I wasn't going to see you again. She was going to kill me," Naruto sobbed as she clung to him and he wrapped her tightly in his embrace burying his face into her neck as he felt his own tears sting. "I was so scared I wouldn't be able to tell you how much I love you!"

Sasuke tightened his hold letting her words wash over him.

"I love you, too, Naruto. And I'm never letting you out of my sight again," he whispered hoarsely. They clung to each other until a paramedic cleared his throat.

"I would like to see to her injuries," he said calmly looking at the ground instead of at the private moment that he had interrupted.

Sasuke stood next to her holding her hand while the paramedic smeared a gel like substance over her raw and bleeding wrists and the broken skin of her hands. Then the medic made sure that she didn't have any broken ribs or internal bleeding from taking the blows to her torso. He did agree with Genma's assessment that Naruto had a slight concussion but it wasn't anything that they needed to take her to the doctor for.

"I guess it's my turn again to nurse you back to health," Sasuke dead panned only to grunt as Naruto smacked him in the stomach.

"I wouldn't say anything if I were you. I have some very vicious friends that will do anything I ask so don't press your luck," she growled then smiled at him with love shining in her eyes.

Genma came back out of the building followed by two men who held a finally submissive Sasame between them. The woman looked like she could barely stand and they dragged more than led her from the warehouse. Sasame looked up and saw the smiling Naruto.

She screamed and grabbed the gun that the man on her right hadn't secured. She slid it from its holster and pointed it at Sasuke. Naruto seeing the gun immediately shot to her feet and grabbed Sasuke around the chest taking him to the ground.

The gun popped and Naruto felt a white hot sensation piece her upper back. She looked down into Sasuke's loving face. Tears blurred her vision as numbness crept over her. She blinked them back and smiled at him.

"Are you hurt?" she tried to ask but it was drowned out by the shouting that was going on around her. She saw Sasuke shake his head so maybe he had heard her anyway. A grey coldness filled her clouding her vision making her limp. Then she was looking up as Sasuke, he was saying something that she couldn't quite catch so she read his lips.

"Naruto, Naruto, stay with me. Please, don't you dare die, not when I just found you again." She felt hot liquid drop onto her cheeks.

She wanted to life her hand but it felt so heavy, everything felt so heavy. She wanted to touch his face to tell him that she was okay that she loved him.

"God damn it, Naruto, I love you too much. I can't loose you." Sasuke was saying.

"I love you too…" The darkness took over and she felt nothing any more.


	26. Chapter 26

Epilogue

Sasuke stood in front of the grave staring down at it. He felt the empty ache in his heart as he looked down at the beloved mound of dirt. Grass had coved it in the years since it was dug. He had selected the place with care. Trees grew tall over the headstone and shaded it from the sun.

Iruka was standing on one side and Neji on the other each of them were bearing a bouquet of flowers. They stood with him silent in their tribute, saying a prayer for the loved one. Iruka went first and laid his bundle of daffodils next to the marker.

"You are missed," he said thickly then straightened, moving away.

Neji followed suit and placed a packet of daisies down. He swiped away a tear that fell.

"Life's too short but you had a great impact on us all."

He turned to Iruka and shoulder to shoulder they walked away leaving Sasuke alone for a private moment.

"God, how I miss you," he muttered as he approached the stone. He brushed his had over it and trace the name. "I didn't get to give you your keys back. I remembered them today, and fished them out of the fountain." He pulled a plastic sack out of his pocket. It held six sets of keys in it. He laid it down next to hid bouquet of yellow roses. "I was such a selfish little twerp thinking that there was nothing worse than not going to the zoo. I forgive you; I really didn't want to go to the zoo. I just wanted to spend the day with you."

The pad of his finger found the date. Ten months ago. He didn't know if the empty place in his heart would remain but he wasn't going to forget his brother. The wind stirred and a petal from the cherry blossom tree caressed his cheek and he smiled.

"Guess what, I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier. Naruto's pregnant were going to have a baby. Thank goodness we had the wedding ceremony when we did. I don't think she would have married me if she had been pregnant before getting married. She probably would have thought I was doing it for the sake of the baby." He smiled.

"I had to fire Karin last week, there were enough complaints about her that I just couldn't keep her on. Hopefully she will find another position that she will be happier with. Naruto finished the program and it's a huge success. I've moved her to the main building where I can keep an eye on her. I've even given her a job in the human resource department. Did you know that we have over three thousand employees and Naruto knows every single one of there names and birthdays?" He laughed at that and felt so proud of his wife. "She makes sure that everyone gets a gift on their birthday and even goes out to buy it personally."

He pushed up from his crouch on the ground. He brushed his hand over the top of the grave.

"Hey, Sasuke" he heard Kiba call out. "Naruto says that if you don't hurry up the baby will be born with out you. Her water just broke!"

"Shit! I'm sorry, Itachi, I have to go but I'll bring the baby here to meet you in a couple of months." He turned and ran to the car. Jumping in as Kiba pressed the gas pedal.

Itachi grinned from his place next to the tree, his parents, and Naruto's parents next to him.

"The new addition to our family is going to be a little terror," Minato said clapping Fugaku Uchiha on the back.

"A little demon," Kushina said her arm joined with Mikoto's as they smiled at each other.

"A clever little fox," Itachi exclaimed.

"Just like her mother," Fugaku said grinning.

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Can you believe it I finished it!!!!! *pats self on back*

I seriously through about not putting this Chapter out and leaving it hanging for a while, make you all suffer.

I really hope that you liked this story and i'm sad to see it end. I have a lot of fun writing it and everyone was so supportive. each reveiw that I got just made me want to srite more and I really appreciate them ALOT!

I'm hoping that more people will leave a review, now that the story is complete!!

I will turn my attentiion to my other stories and hope I can complete them in the same amount of time as I have this one!!!

With great appreciation for my fans and every one who favorited this story, and even greater Appreciation goes to:

Itooshi--who has read all the chapters AND reviewed them. and

xXfan-FanXx, Edelta88, Ranma-sama, FirieGirl, Zensfav, Sessholove4lyf, , Warlord Re, Tyrell05, narutoisuke, basketball-lover, Iana Sabelle, red-crescent-moon, sky glazing Maro, PandaApprovedxx, mimichan88, Mimsy and the Begrooves, rosetta00.

Thank you so much!!!

ZEN


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